"Itisa $20bill, encashableininternationalandnationalmarketsforitsquotedvalue," repliedoneofthemanyparticipantswhoraisedtheirhands.
Thespeakerproceededtocrumplethedollarbillupusingbothhishandstillitbecameabundleofwrinkledpaper.
Hethenunfoldeditagainandmakinganunsuccessfulattempttokeepitstraight, heasked, "Wouldyoustillbeabletonegotiateitforitsquotedvalue?"
"Yes!" wastheechoingreplyfromtheparticipants.
"Well," hesaid, "LookslikeIhaven'tdoneenough! WhatifIdothis?" , whichwasnowallcrumpled, dirty, defacedandnoteasytorecognizefromadistance.
"Nowwillsomeoneliketotradeitforitsquotedvalue?"
Manyhandswentintheair.
"Ithinkthispieceofcurrencyisstillholdingitsquotedvalue," repliedaparticipantinaslightlyunsurevoice.
"Thisbillcanstillfetchgoodsworth20dollars," saidtheotherparticipant.
Everyoneagreed.
"Myfriends, , thatIwasabletodeshape, deface, mutilateandalterthe $20billduringtheprocessastheeffectswerequitevisible.
"However, nomatterwhatIdidtothispieceofpaper, $20.
"Manytimesinourlives, wefeellikeasifwearedropped, crumpled, , pleaserememberyouneverloseyour 'Value'."
Valuesthatyoucherishareindeeddevoidofworldlydisturbanceandalwaysyou'reyoursaviour.
研讨会上,一位著名的演说者是这样开场的——他举起一张20美元的钞票,问在座的200名听众:“这张纸是什么?它有价值吗?”
“这是一张20美元的钞票,按它的面值,在国际和国内市场都能兑换。”在众多举手的参与者中,一个人这样答道。
于是,演说者把那张美钞揉成一团,搓成了一张皱巴巴的纸。
接着,他又把美钞展开,并尽量把它弄平整,但仍然皱皱巴巴的。他问道:“按面值,你们还能把它兑换出去吗?”
“能!”大家异口同声地说。
“哦,”演说者说,“看来我做的还不够啊!要是我这么做呢?”他说着,就把那张20美元丢到地上,开始用鞋踩来踩去。然后,他捡起钞票,这时,那张钞票已经皱得不成样子了,而且脏兮兮的,面目全非,从远处很难认出是什么东西。
“现在,还有人愿意按它的面值和我做交易吗?”
许多人都举起了手。