Source of article 2's Company - Magnus Insights.

To follow up on my previous post about people asking for my opinions, I have noticed an interesting phenomenon. Although it is far from universal, I have observed that people, such as friends and family, who ask for my opinion with no intention of paying me for my time or expertise, often devalue or discount what I have to say. Some of them even go as far as arguing with me when my opinions, based on scientific research, do not comport with their everyday, commonsense, notions. In contrast, most (but certainly not all) of my clients, who pay me for my opinions about their lawsuits, value what I have to say and usually heed my advice. I have pointed out this observation to David on countless occasions, as it pertains to the advice I have provided him regarding important family issues that are related to psychological issues. Because of my expertise in human behavior, I can usually “see” what is going to happen well before the inevitable occurs. Mom used to say “Other people would have to get up before breakfast to get ahead of you!” because she recognized that I am usually able to observe things about other people that they, themselves, fail to see. There is a common perception that “You get what you pay for,” however, when it comes to my ability to provide my expertise for free, out of generosity, compassion, and love, I believe my advice should be given equal consideration to the same advice paid for at my hourly rate. I don’t mind helping people, for free, but I do mind it when my advice is ignored or mocked. On the numerous occasions when this has happened, I always think about my many great clients, who truly appreciate my opinions, even when they differ from their own.