The Triad: Your One Thing

Ever thought about what people value when looking for a mate?  For some, appearance is everything, no matter what.  Some are attracted most to performers – in career, sports, or otherwise.  Others don’t need the excitement that comes with a supermodel or performer – they just want someone easygoing, low-maintenance, and reliable.

It is very, very seldom that all three of the above come together.  Usually, we have to figure out what is most important to us, our One Thing.  The One Thing is what makes an ordinary person (to most) irresistible to you.  It’s what provides grace for annoying habits.  The One Thing is what keeps you committed.

Cars are the same way.  Your One Thing is going to keep you committed, even if your car can’t be everything, all the time.  A Ferrari has lots of show, and lots of go.  But brakes cost over $10,000, needs frequent tune-ups, and it won’t haul your furniture.  That Honda mini-van may not say swag, but brakes are $99 at Just Brakes (if you want to cheap out).  It’ll happily make space for that new refrigerator (as well as your kids’ college fund), and be happy for many miles just with Uncle Joe changing the oil.

So in each high-level summary about a car, I’ll attempt to rank them using three forces that people prioritize in a car purchase.  Let’s call them The Triad:

1)  Show:  Highly subjective, but does the car have (positive) shock value?

2)  Go:  How does a car perform when you’re moving quickly?

3)  Reliability:  How well does it do at staying out of the hospital?

These forces are usually opposing each other, and compete for the spot of That One Thing.  For example, if you’re into a car with a lot of Go, you’ll usually give up some reliability and vice versa.  You may be ok with lower reliability, just because you think that car looks just as beautiful as you.

Knowing your One Thing (and how much you’re willing to sacrifice to get it) produces proper expectations.  And with proper expectations, you’ll be surprised how much more you love your car…for the long haul.  It’s not bad marriage advice either.

Your Car Talks About You

Either your car’s identity owns you, or you own it. Click the image to see an example.

Most people thing that only certain cars have a personality.  Rare ones…sexy ones…customized ones like Ferraris, Jeeps, Hummers, and muscle cars…you know, the ones that speak without being spoken to.  They’re the pro athletes, the Kardashians, the ones that aren’t quite sure what “under the radar” means.  Finding personalities is easy…assigning stereotypes even easier.  

But what about your family sedan, SUV, or (wipe a tear) minivan?  Well, the fact is that just like people, every car has a personality.  That minivan may not say supermodel or pro athlete.  But hey, do you? 😉

If your car isn’t great at anything, it’s just boring.  If you’re boring, or don’t care about your car, then congrats.  But chances are that your car, like you, is really good at something.

Maybe your ride doesn’t have a supermodel figure, but is as faithful and reliable as your golden retriever.  Sure it can’t go 200mph, but like you, it loves to have all five of your kids together in one spot, comfortable, and safe.  Yes, it eats a lot, but it loves to explore, camp, cross rivers and if you’re in a tough spot, find a way to get you out.

Take a look at your car….and see its personality…what it wants to tell the world.  

“I’m really useful and easy to live with.”

“I’m classically elegant.”

“I’m a corporate man.”

“Cost is no object.”

“I look pret-ty good.”

“Shake n Bake – I wanna go f.a.s.t.” 

“I’m a conservative kinda person…wink.”
“I’m eclectic – most people don’t know about me, but industry insiders know I’m awesome.”
“I may be high maintenance, but you know I’m worth it.”
“I could be a serial killer.”

Find out what your car’s identity is, and own it – tell the world that you and your car get along just fine.  Or, find a car that is really good at something – it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to be cool (I think I just found my next post topic).