My Literary Indulgences...

Recently while having a conversation on changing trends in hybrid applications development with a fellow geek, I heard this phrase from him - sunk cost fallacy. For the purposes of communication, I could extract its meaning from the context and thus carry on a stimulating discussion, a pleasant change from the mindless drivel we usually indulge in. However, for some reason, maybe because it struck me a little bit odd that he knew a phrase which I hadn't come across, given his disregard towards vocabulary building and language eloquence, that phrase stuck in my head. And now with a superabundance of leisure time on my hands, I looked it up and had quite an epiphany. Let's take it from the top. Sunk Cost in economics is a retrospective (past) cost that has already been incurred and cannot be recovered. The argument which occurs over it is its effect on current actions and decision-making. According to traditional microeconomics theory, sunk costs should not affect a rational de...

Luck, fate, destiny, life - however you see it, whatever you call it, it is the unknown variable in all your plans. You're expected to make room for it, adapt to it and make best of whatever it causes, somehow make it work as a part of your grand plan. That's how you get what you want, right? That's how you stay ahead in the game. But sometimes, this luck-fate-destiny-life plays a cruel joke on you. This variable goes insanely wild, stacks astronomical odds against your plan, and not just rains, but freaking cloudbursts on your parade. Having been at the butt end of such a joke, here's an account of those series of unfortunate events (good one Snicket! I know the feeling!). It all began a few months back, when after hours of reasoning, convincing and flat out emotional blackmailing, I finally got my best friend to come back with me to Mumbai for Diwali. I started looking forward to the trip and had high hopes from it; so did she. The need to make it special was felt e...