Article January 10, 2005 Issue

SAY GOOD-BYE TO CYNICISM

IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP AND SEE SOMETHING BETTER.

By Rosalie E. Dunbar

My old car had well over 100,000 miles on it, and repair bills were building up. I really needed a new one. The men in the car dealership saw that, and they were offering me a wonderful deal.

But the catch was that I would have to sign the forms that night. And frankly, I didn't want to be pressured into signing without some time to think about the financial commitment. Now what?

In surveys of the most trusted or most ethical professions, car salespeople tend to be near or at the bottom of the list. So if I had chosen to be cynical that night and just walk out, some people would have nodded and added cynically, "They were just pressuring you because you're a woman."

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

ANTIDOTES TO CYNICISM