One of life's paradoxes, the paradox of desperation

[Dominus]

So, this morning I woke up at about 4am and couldn't fall back asleep. So, here I am at 6am drinking my coffee while pondering the meaning of life.

One of the things that come to mind from time to time is the apparent paradox of desperation. I'm sure there is an official name for this phenomenon. I don't know it. So, let me just describe it to you.

Your business needs operating cash right now. You're in a hole. You go to the bank and asks for a loan. If they even gets a whiff of you needing the cash to survive, they will laugh you out the door. Why? Because they know that a desperate person will say anything to get what they need. Hence, banks are in the business of loaning to people who don't need the loan.

I'm a landlord. My business is renting to (hopefully) reliable tenants that will pay on time take care of the property. From my own experience, the most reliable tenants are the ones that have options. On the other hand, the worst tenants almost always seem to be those that are in desperate need of a place to move to ASAP.

Anyone remember the nightmare tenant thread I recently made where the tenants lived in dog poop and pee for months? Thinking back, while their jobs and backgrounds checked out, they repeatedly told me they needed the place ASAP and was willing to pay anything.

The concept also applies to job seekers. Why do you think coaches always tell people to not look and sound desperate? The more desperate a job seeker seem to be, the less likely the employer will hire them. It's pretty much for the same reason. Desperate people tend to be unreliable.

Am I making any sense or did I just totally ramble?

 

[NotHardUp1]

You're really describing two different phenomena.

In asking for a loan, you are trying to present the picture of stability so that the lender will assume you have a sound business plan, understand your market, and need investment for growth, not maintenance. If they detect desperation, it obviously and accurately is a flag that they are increasing risk and for dubious return.

From interviews with renters and workers, you are not looking for the same thing really. You're looking for not growth, but reliable income from the former, and signs of normality, and for necessary job skills from the latter, and signs of sympatico with your job's and team's requirements.

 

[Dominus]

You're really describing two different phenomena.

In asking for a loan, you are trying to present the picture of stability so that the lender will assume you have a sound business plan, understand your market, and need investment for growth, not maintenance. If they detect desperation, it obviously and accurately is a flag that they are increasing risk and for dubious return.

From interviews with renters and workers, you are not looking for the same thing really. You're looking for not growth, but reliable income from the former, and signs of normality, and for necessary job skills from the latter, and signs of sympatico with your job's and team's requirements.

Every job coach in the universe advises people to not appear desperate for a job. Every hiring manager I have ever known tells me candidates that are already employed are a lot more preferable.

Hence, the saying goes. It's a lot easier to find a job if you already have a job.

 

[NotHardUp1]

And no argument on that.

The truth is, there isn't any desperation detector in hiring. Only the stupid ones show their hand.

The real lurkers are the rot. You'll never know until they are on your payroll. It's more important to have effective management, including how to fire someone quickly, than it is to pretend you're able to screen out the dross.

 

[Peloso]

So, this morning I woke up at about 4am and couldn't fall back asleep. So, here I am at 6am drinking my coffee while pondering the meaning of life.

One of the things that come to mind from time to time is the apparent paradox of desperation. I'm sure there is an official name for this phenomenon. I don't know it. So, let me just describe it to you.

Your business needs operating cash right now. You're in a hole. You go to the bank and asks for a loan. If they even gets a whiff of you needing the cash to survive, they will laugh you out the door. Why? Because they know that a desperate person will say anything to get what they need. Hence, banks are in the business of loaning to people who don't need the loan.

I'm a landlord. My business is renting to (hopefully) reliable tenants that will pay on time take care of the property. From my own experience, the most reliable tenants are the ones that have options. On the other hand, the worst tenants almost always seem to be those that are in desperate need of a place to move to ASAP.

Anyone remember the nightmare tenant thread I recently made where the tenants lived in dog poop and pee for months? Thinking back, while their jobs and backgrounds checked out, they repeatedly told me they needed the place ASAP and was willing to pay anything.

The concept also applies to job seekers. Why do you think coaches always tell people to not look and sound desperate? The more desperate a job seeker seem to be, the less likely the employer will hire them. It's pretty much for the same reason. Desperate people tend to be unreliable.

Am I making any sense or did I just totally ramble?

If you're thinking that the meaning of life has anything to do with business or banks or cash, well there's your problem right there.