'What's the best price?'

"No, no, no! That's too much. What's the best price?" Haven't all of us said this most of the times we went shopping? I am guilty!

Negotiating and bargaining is our birthright, or so we feel. We see a window of opportunity, and we'll haggle with all we've got. Talk about little joys even those measly discounts can bring. Oh the awesome feeling of achievement on getting a "big" discount!

For some of us it happens in phases: You ask the price. The shopkeeper tells you the price. You saw the price sticker even before he told you, but you pretend not to know. Then you look astonished with the 'hey I saw a UFO' expression. Nod your head in disapproval. Contemplate for a few seconds maybe. Then, finally, the verdict. "That's too much!"

And how it suddenly makes us a quality expert is amazing. "This is not even good cotton." What is good cotton again? When it comes to bargaining, we can even tell that the third carbon on the polymer chain is slightly out of place. Okay, that's exaggeration. But hey "I see invisible holes in this dress, give me a discount!"

Rarely do we have a context or reason to bargain. But still we do. And we will till the end of time. Even when we know the prices are already inflated and the "after-discount" price is just a drama. That feel-good factor I say!