The ability to deal with people

Issue: The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee, and it is worth more than any other commodity under the sun.

Explain what you think the above quotation means and discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with it. Support your position with relevant reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

Essay 1:
This first part of this statement means that interpersonal—or social—skills can be marketed as part of a bundle of assets that one might tout to a prospective client, customer, or especially employer. Presumably, the extent and value of these skills can be gauged by one’s previous experience with clients and customers or at jobs requiring a significant amount of teamwork and cooperation among workers—as measured by factors such as one’s tenure in such a job and letters of reference from supervisors. While this claim seems plausible in the abstract, it ignores critical valuation problems. Furthermore, the claim that the ability to deal with people exceeds the value of all other commodities is an overgeneralization, since relative values depend on particular circumstances.

The first problem with this claim is that it is far more difficult to quantify the value of interpersonal skills, or other human qualities, than the value of commodities such as coffee or sugar, which can be measured, weighed, or otherwise examined prior to purchase. To a large extent, the ability to work with people is a quality whose true value can be determined only after it is purchased, then tried and tested for a period of time. Additionally, its value may vary depending on the idiosyncrasies of the job. For example, a technically-oriented programmer or researcher might function well with a team of like-minded workers, yet have trouble dealing with management or marketing personnel.

The second problem with this claim is that it overgeneralizes in asserting that the ability to work with people is “worth more than any other commodity.” The relative value of this ability depends on the peculiarities of the job. In some jobs, especially sales, ambition and tenacity are more valuable. In other areas, such as research and development, technical skills and specific knowledge are paramount. Moreover, in some businesses, such as mining or oil-drilling, the value of raw materials and capital equipment might be far more important a commodity than the social skills, or most other skills, of employees—depending on the economic circumstances.

In sum, the ability to deal with people is purchasable only to a limited extent, since its full value cannot be determined prior to purchase. Moreover, its full value depends on the organizational unit as well as the nature of the business.


Essay 2:
Our day to day activities present us with many occasions in which we must interact with other people. Whether at home or at the workplace, we come into contact with people every day, and this reality underscores the importance of the ability to deal with people. However, is it true that “the ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee, and it is worth more than any other commodity under the sun”? I disagree somewhat with the first part of the quotation, which says that the ability to deal with people can be bought as if it were a product on sale, assuming that money comes in between every relationship or interaction. Yet I agree with the second part. The ability to deal with people becomes more useful and more valuable than any other product because unlike sugar or coffee, it is people’s most precious asset.

In some situations, money does not play a role. Love and care, for example, are some things that are not purchasable. Couples, in most cases, get together and marry because they want to love and care for each other. Besides, I firmly believe that the relationship I have with my friends are true because friendship is not money-based. We sing, laugh, and go out together sharing precious memories and moments. Of course, we cannot give money and expect our friends to give us real friendship. It is quite obvious that with the right mindset, learning how to deal with people really differs from buying sugar or coffee.

Once a person has mastered the ability to deal with people, he/she will quickly recognize that it is his/her most precious asset. Knowing how to handle people has a wide range of applications that can win you points in your personal and professional life. It can be used to persuade an uncooperative child to go to school, for example, or an uncooperative boss to give an employee a raise. The sheer value of this ability becomes more evident when one considers that it can be taken anywhere, can never be stolen, and will not depreciate over time.

In conclusion, I argue against such a money-based interaction between people because money does not have to come in between every matter. It must be remembered that developing the ability to deal with people is something that can be learned by the average person. Once acquired, it can assist a person in a variety of ways that will leave him/her with the impression that it is worth more than anything money can buy.