Have you ever bought something without thinking?
Even if you’re a wise spender, it happens to the best of us. The reason why this happens starts with me in Barcelona, Spain.
Thursday. May 11, 2023. Barcelona, Spain.
I’m over a month into my solo trip around Europe. I’ve travelled through five other Spanish cities, and I’m ready to explore somewhere new.
I know Italy is my next exploration destination.
At the same time, I’m also thinking it would be amazing to see an opera.
Remember, I booked a one-way flight to Spain in early April. I wanted to see Spain and Italy in-depth but was also open to adventures.
I Google “Opera Tickets May 2023.”
One curious result pops up: Mozart’s Die Zaberflöte Opera.
One of the most famous and world-renouned operas. It was playing at the Estates Theatre in Prague, where Mozart premiered his famous opera Don Giovanni in 1787. It was special. I could feel it.
The history of the theatre and the city of Prague seemed fascinating. Earlier on my trip, I met a Crotian guy who traveled to Prague eight years ago. He still lives there. He always had great things to say about the city.
Although the opera was only nine days later, to my surprise there were three seats left.
I imagined these would cost a small fortune in this famous opera house and historic, musical city.
I check the prices.
15 Euro?
They’re usually more expensive than that.
I come to find out that they’re in the standing section.
Fuck it, I thought.
I buy a ticket without thinking.
For context, I was on a shoe-string budget of around 50 Euros a day. I hadn’t even checked flights and train rides to get to Eastern Europe.
Purchased. Opera Ticket. Prague. Saturday. May 20, 2023.
I didn’t even know if I could get to Prague, yet I booked that ticket.
What made me make such an impulsive decision?
I consider myself an overthinker. I always think things through. But not this.
Putting aside the fact that the ticket was cheap, why did I just buy it without thinking?
Without even browsing Google to see if there were flights from Barcelona to Prague?
That’s not me.
To answer this, let’s turn to psychology.
Scarcity
There’s a concept in psychology called scarcity.
Scarcity means that there’s a small amount of something that a lot of people want.
Scarcity gets us to act. Kind of like that feeling when there’s a last-minute essay due tomorrow that you’ve been putting off.
And for some reason, we humans want something we can’t have:
“If you can’t have it, you suddenly want it. It’s like the armrest you weren’t using in the movie theater or airplane. As soon as someone sits beside you and starts using it, you suddenly have a strong desire to somehow ‘get it back.’ You feel as if they took ‘your’ armrest.”
- Ca$hvertising by Drew Eric Whitman
You may have seen ads that say things like:
One-day sale
Limited-time offer
Only while supplies last
Every business uses them. Don’t lie, but create and use real deadlines to get people to act.
As we saw in Prague, the scarcity of those three opera ticket seats compelled me to buy that ticket. I was thinking: those tickets might be gone soon. There aren’t many left.
“Using the scarcity cue is like using a deadline, except scarcity also suggests exlclusivity, not simply limited supply.”
- Ca$hvertising
This applies outside of business too.
Let’s say you need someone to do something for you right away. Instead of saying “ASAP,” make a specific date. It’s not as powerful as saying, “6 pm Thursday.”
After seven headaches, I made travel plans to Prague and then Italy afterwards. My first opera was phenomenal. Two days later, I returned the dress clothes I bought at H&M.
See you Thursday,
Baxter




PS: that was a joke. Scarcity, baby. Use it. Don’t lie. This was a joke, so it’s an exception.
If you liked this, you’ll also like:
Intellectual Humility: How I Traveled Italy for 2 Weeks on $50
So I’m Going to Europe: Why I Flipped 2023 On Its Head (Again)
The Book That’ll Forever Change the Way You View Travel: An Update from Chicago
Last thing: if you liked this, you’ll enjoy my daily short-form writing on Twitter. It’s where I share most of my ideas, stories, and thoughts.