The Salsa Trick

There was a restaurant near my college campus that I loved!😋 Los Bandidos served the best chicken enchiladas with sour cream and salsa verde. I’m not sure I’ve had better ones since. My friends and I frequented the place most Friday nights for dinner. We didn’t hit the 🍺Happy Hour, preferring to have a great dinner before going out on the town. One particular night, we had to wait in the bar for a table. We did what everyone does at Happy Hour in a Mexican restaurant- filled cups with salsa and a basket with chips to pass the time. Finally, our table was ready, with more chips and salsa to munch on while we waited for our entrees. We noticed a difference immediately. The salsa in the restaurant lacked 🔥spiciness. It seemed sweeter than the salsa in the bar. When we asked our server, she confirmed our suspicion. The bar salsa was 🔥hotter. The reason? People bought more 🍻drinks while eating 🔥spicier salsa. She added that we could ask for the ‘bar salsa’ in the restaurant if we preferred the heat.

Whoa! 😳Manipulation served with a side of chips.

This story is just one example of manipulation at work in our lives. It’s everywhere, and it seems to be ⬆️increasing. The tactics aren’t just extra spice in the salsa. Let’s use the salsa as a metaphor, though. I was only offered one salsa, so how could I know which kind I preferred?🤔 Heck- how could I know that I had a choice?🤷🏻‍♀️ Instead, I ate what the server brought to the table, unaware I was missing out on something I enjoyed more. Manipulation- plain and simple.😡

The lesson is pretty straightforward. We need to be aware that options exist. ✅ We need to sample more than one salsa to see what we really want.✅ If we’re only allowed to try one of anything- we’re missing the bigger picture. We may not even realize that we are being manipulated. Grab some chips and salsa, and 🤔think a little deeper about possible manipulation tactics happening around you.

Don’t just eat the salsa you are fed. Find out about all of the flavors.💖