Free Coffee Paradox

Here’s a paradox for you.

A guy walks into Starbucks and orders a Grande Chai Latte. The Barista gives him a funny look, nudges her friend and he starts looking at the guy out of the corner of his eye, trying (unsuccessfully) not to make eye contact. When the drink is up, she tells the guy that it’s on the house.

He mutters a quick ‘thank you’ and makes his escape out the front door. And as the door shuts behind him, the exclamations begin:

“Oh my gosh, can you believe he was in here?”
“I can’t believe we met him.”
“Was that really him?”

Turns out, the guy was Bill Gates or Bill Clinton or Bill Cosby or Buffalo Bill or Mr. Bill or some other famous Bill up on Capitol Hill. And he got his free coffee because of the fame, money, or influence he carried with him into the store. It doesn’t matter that he’s the one person in the Coffee bar that has so much disposable income that paying $3.50 for coffee isn’t even a concern. He still gets his for free.

I use Starbucks as the example, but it’s the same with huge rock bands who are “sponsored” by guitar brands and huge corporations who get freebies from smaller companies.

Why is it that those who can pay sometimes get theirs for free while the rest of us have to scrape and save for everything?

Personally, I think it’s because we’re obsessed with power and influence.

The main reason we bend over backwards to help the rich and affluent is that we’re somehow wired up to go to any lengths necessary to impress those with power and influence.

Perhaps it’s because we want their power and influence, too, and we think that if we do something nice for them they’ll remember us and offer us a job or a pat on the back or something else that will “add value” to our lives. Heck, even having an encounter with a celebrity may make us feel more valuable.

“Honey, you’ll never believe what happened to me today! Bill Cosby came in and ordered a coffee from me! Bill Cosby… man, I love my job!”

Then again…

The rich and influential also pay a lot more taxes- shouldering the weight of education, healthcare, infrastructure, and all the other social services that the rest of us enjoy. Without them, we’d have to shoulder those expenses on our own. Without them, we might not have the movies, products, and services that we enjoy either- after all, they’re the actors, thinkers, and doers that have made western world what it is today.

Perhaps they deserve a free cup of coffee and our appreciation?