What's it worth to you?

It's a question I often ask when someone asks something of me.  What's it worth to you?  It's a simple question asking the original requester for the value the person places on their request.  I first started asking the question to figure out how important the request is so I could help prioritize the request.  Over time, I began asking, simply to find where the person's mind is at.

Let me explain.  I can categorize the replies into three groups.  Qualitative, Exchange, and Refusals.

On rare occasions, someone will reply to my question with qualitative responses, like: "a lot", or "not much, but I thought I'd ask", or "oh, I really need it."  While not a perfect scale, it does provide the ranking I originally sought when I first began asking.

"Exchange", on the other hand, is the most common response.  These responses range from "I'll make you lunch." to "I'll give you this picture." and from "a hug" to "a blowjob".  I'm always intrigued by the exchange response as it shows me the currency a person is willing to barter.  The respondent's choice of "currency", while doesn't give me a means of evaluating the value of the exchange, it does show me where the person's mind is at.

The "exchange" response often holds a question of its own.  "Are you interested in taking my exchange so I can have more?"  For example, "let me buy you dinner?" becomes the respondent's way to see if they can get me spend quality private time with them.  These responses spark my curiosity the most.

The final type of response, the "refusal" has always baffled me.  It shows up in the disgust the person displays that I would even ask.  Sometimes, they would respond with something like "No I won't do that with you."  I wonder what it is that they won't do.  They never define the word "that" when they refuse to accept my alleged counter offer.  So, what did they think I was asking for?

In the end, I am entertained more by the type of response I receive than the value associated to the response.  Someday I might take someone up on their exchange offer.  For now, I will continue to be satisfied with learning how the people around me evaluate the world around them.

Want more of these writings?  What's it worth to you?