When I was younger, “no free lunches” made zero sense to me. Lunch was at 12PM at home every day, and I got it right in mouth, with clockwork precision. As I grew older, I thought it meant that food is expensive and we have to pay for it. However, only recently did I realise that the quote is in fact not about lunches, or food or money in any way!
No free lunches refers to the fact that nothing in life is ever "free". No one ever does anything without expecting anything in return, even if they are very generous. We should be especially cautious of the “free” things, as they always have a hidden cost to them. This might seem like a very pessimistic view of the world, but our world is not utopia. Thus, this becomes a practical and realistic view of the world.
This lesson is important as humans would like to believe that everyone has our best interests at heart. Hearing the word "free" immediately interests us & clouds our judgement.
However, the things that look too good to be true almost always are. A simple example of this would be the discounts we are offered. The small "T&C" written in the bottom makes all the difference. The terms and conditions applied ends up making us spend more money than we usually would, all in the effort to save some money.
From my experience, except family, no one has your best interests at heart, and does something for you without expecting anything in return. This doesn't mean that you don't trust anyone and have a negative view on life. However, it is our job to protect ourselves, so it is best to err on the side of caution.
This age-old wisdom passed on by my grandfather is essential to me & has greatly impacted my life, as it has transformed me into a person who is able to navigate adulthood & has provided me with the caution I need to succeed in this dog-eat-dog world.
