Page 95 - Midas Touch

“Because of price? Because people want a bargain?” I offered up.

Shaking his head, rich dad asked, “Do you know how much the Rolex
brand is worth?”

“No,” I said, again shaking my head.

“Do you know what the Rolex brand stands for?”

“It means success,” I replied. “It means you’ve made it. It means you’ve
reached the top. At least that‘s what it means to me. That’s why I bought a

fake Rolex. I just wanted to look more successful.”

“And what does a fake Rolex say about you?” asked rich dad, looking me
directly in the eyes.

“It means I want to be successful,” I replied. “It means someday I’ll own a
real Rolex.”

“Try again,” smirked rich dad. “It means you’re a fake. Only a fake would
wear a fake. That’s what a fake Rolex stands for.”

“But a real Rolex costs a lot of money,” I protested. “I just wanted to wear
a Rolex and I didn’t want to spend that much money on a watch. So I
bought a five-dollar Rolex. Who will know the difference?”

“You will,” replied rich dad. “You know the difference. Deep down you
know what the Rolex brand is worth. You know what the brand means.
That’s why you are willing to be a fake and wear a fake.”

“I don’t agree,” I said. “Nobody can tell the difference. I know. I inspected
the watch before I bought it. It looks real.”

“But you know it’s not real,” said rich dad sternly. “You may think you’re
fooling most people, but you’re not fooling yourself. It’s what you’re
saying about you that is important. And right now what you’re saying
about yourself is ‘I’m poor. I’m not successful and I can’t afford a real
Rolex. So I’ll buy a fake because I am a fake.’”

“Why are you being so hard on me?” I asked. “It’s just a cheap watch.”

“It’s more than a cheap watch,” said rich dad impatiently. “It’s a fake
watch, a knock-off, stolen property. If you are willing to buy stolen
property, what does that say about you?”