Vice Way to Building Social Value

Every haloed inner circle survives and grows by the basis of exclusivity. Exclusivity panders to the deepest desire of every human being: that of feeling special, valued. Inner Circles are just the result of this exclusivity applied to a subset of a social network. Exclusivity is not the only outcome of ‘belonging’ to a social circle, it also sometimes results in providing social, monetary and information value to the individual. Inner circles are a way to Information Asymmetry and as we can  see Information Asymmetry gives power which can then be used to achieve whatever is acquirable & desired.

Every one has at one time or the other always  have faced this demon of exclusivity and more often we (the teetotallers) have to had to deal with this devil of the inner ring. Closed smoking areas quickly morph to power puff tables, with all the bigwigs speaking in authorative tones about the adverse effect of the pithy sales performance on the teams. Dinner social drinking binges quickly giving way to making that quick pitch to the new VC in town or meeting that distant hotshot CEO of a new company of a friend of the friend of your drinking partner, your boss. As they say, good men go to heaven, bad boys go everywhere!

And its these vices that have the biggest potential to build valuable social networks. Think of it this way, you are a nice guy (loser) who works in his parttime in a NGO for kids and you are another guy who attends social drinking binges with your boss or a new colleague. Just ponder over this… who has the best chances to meet the new CEO or to make the grade in a new big project or a new job or a elevator pitch? It hurts but its the social drinker or a smoker. Your vice just became your wisest decision!

And when is the bigger chance that two new school boys become the best friends. When each worked on their homework together or when both planned and made that big new escape to bunking school and going to the newest Shiva 2006 (what losers!) first day first show? Huh?

Evidently, the most mischievous brats turn to be the best friends. The social drinkers become the power circle. The smokers the haloed cloud of conglomerates. And mom tells me its good to be a teetoller!!! Duh?!