Little facts about succulents: big lessons hidden in these little fleshy plants

Main text

Text and images: Aha

Economic theory and succulents seem to have absolutely nothing to do with each other, but as the curator is a kid who studied international trade, it is time to talk about the relationship between economics and succulents.

Demographic dividend

Everyone understands: buying one succulent means owning many succulents. Succulents beget succulents.

Matthew effect

It is the phenomenon where the beautiful become more beautiful and those with many succulents get even more. Whatever you have, you want to plant several times more; and whatever you lack, you must buy even more.

Middle-income trap

When the succulents you grow reach a certain scale, they enter stagnation or decline. In the end, you can no longer take care of them all, and even watering becomes a headache; when summer comes, it gets even more frightening. But once you get through all this, you can hope to walk the path of a master.

Keeping up with the Joneses

A person's happiness has little to do with how many succulents they own, but a great deal to do with having more, more beautiful succulents and better growing space than others. Think about others planting succulents on one rooftop after another, while you do not even have a windowsill. Does that not make you unhappy?

Ponzi scheme

Everyone knows it: the story of passing the drum and passing the flower. Three or four years ago, when succulents were just becoming popular, I panicked and bought many expensive varieties, hoping to raise succulents with succulents. As it turned out, the expensive varieties have now become common varieties. The money that used to buy one leaf can now buy a whole plant with change left over. There is no way around it; it is caused by market interests.

Greater fool theory

A common variety is given a high price, a common variety is given a fancy name and a high price, you pay a high price for a succulent, grow it for a while, then put a high price on it again, and wait for someone to buy it.

Winner's curse

The winning bidder wins at a price higher than the true value of the item, and there is no production or service activity behind the difference. In some WeChat groups and forums where succulents are auctioned, some people get a bargain, while more people pay tuition.

Veblen effect

Also called "conspicuous consumption." It is reflected in the fact that some people prefer to buy expensive varieties and show them off, even though the expensive varieties may not look as good as common ones.

Paradox of thrift

To save money, you do not buy soil and dig your own, spending time, and then a pest outbreak erupts.

To save money, you buy seeds and grow them yourself, and then you buy fake seeds.

To save money, you buy seeds and grow them yourself. In spring, while others show off their succulents, you show off your soil. After much difficulty the seeds sprout and slowly grow, and then... and then... they are slowly carried off by your own watering, and then taken away in one wave by summer.

Weekend effect

It refers to people predicting near the weekend whether they can receive their goods over the weekend, which in turn affects whether they should buy succulents on Taobao. It also refers to spending workdays browsing succulent websites to learn, and on weekends finding more chances to get up close and personal with succulents.

Learning-by-doing effect

Learn while you grow, and soon you will understand everything. Like the uncle, who now often learns but has no time to do, and seems to know a bit about everything, but sometimes only dares to speak vaguely. Why? Because he practices too little and does not dare to mislead others. But conversely, just because doing something caused no problem does not mean it is okay to do it that way; one should still sum up more.

Mushroom law

It can also be counted as an unexpected blessing. Seemingly neglected, placed in a harsh and inconspicuous environment, left to fend for itself, yet it unexpectedly ushers in a burst of beauty and grows better than some people's carefully tended (watered) plants.

Target-shooting principle

When watering, do not keep agonizing over how to water well. You should water a few times first. Even if you water wrong, it can provide a basis for correcting your target. By constantly correcting based on experience, you will learn how to water.

Black swan event

It refers to a very hard-to-predict and unusual event, usually leading to a catastrophe for succulents, such as a typhoon, a sudden night snowfall, a summer rainstorm that leaves succulents unsheltered, a mischievous child coming over, a girlfriend helping to look after them, or a dog going upstairs.

Crab effect

You fall into the succulent pit alone. Originally, with your own ability, you could climb out, but if the people around you or your WeChat friends have also fallen into the pit, you will not be able to climb out. Like crabs, they will pull you and not let you out of the pit. After all, once you enter the succulent pit, it is as deep as the sea.

Lipstick phenomenon

Whenever the economy is in recession, lipstick sales rise. If lipstick sales have not risen, it may be that these girls have taken the money for lipstick and bought succulents instead.

Hemline index

It is said that the better the economy, the shorter women's skirts. If that is not the case, it may be that they have bought a lot of succulents and are busy wearing pants while working on their succulents.

Survivorship bias

You only see the results of other people's succulents surviving outdoors, but do not notice their usual care process and local environment. You think you can achieve it overnight like them and easily grow beautiful succulents, only to find that your succulents have suffered a great misfortune. For beginners, successful experience is worth learning from, but failed experience is even more worth consulting, as it can save you from many risks of being burned.

Beauty-is-good effect

A succulent with a beautiful appearance is good in every way. Yes, there is nothing wrong with that. In our succulent circle, we most like to judge succulents by their looks.

The article was compiled by the Succulent Boutique Pavilion. Copyright belongs to the original author. For some articles, the source cannot be identified and is marked as from the internet. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately and we will handle it promptly.