A peculiar difference between friends and business!

How many times have I heard this expression and how many times have I seen that it was not worth much for most of us Brazilians. This philosophy is used abroad by thousands of friends who when they say friends and have some business to buy from a friend, make a point of paying the full price, that is, without discount.

Unlike us Brazilians who think and act in reference to friendship as follows; the bigger the friendship, the greater is the expectation of having a much bigger discount than the others or even paying for being a friend.

The differences between cultures are fascinating because we believe and do things so differently with certain things and both are consistent in their way of acting and thinking.

In the case above, a foreigner thinks that if he is friend he has obligation to help his friend and therefore support him in his business. Already in the case of the Brazilian comrade he "the buddy" is flattered with the friend who did not want to charge him for having so much consideration.

And so we are taking our business as part of the Brazilian friendship and true yes sir. This is a way of demonstrating that by sacrificing to forego some financial gain we are proving how faithful we are to that friendship.

In my humble opinion no one is wrong. One is not because although I have had numerous business cases made among friends at phenomenally discounted rates it softened my heart to know that a friend was willing to sacrifice his profit for me, I really thought that person was amazing for doing so. And on the other hand I can not close my eyes to the grandiose act of one friend supporting the other by buying his merchandise without bargaining valuing his business and helping his survival.

An example of this was the case of a Japanese friend that I have for many years when I launched my printed book in the Brazilian market last month I bought 5 books (without asking for a discount) and gave a gift to his friends helping me promote the same. My gratitude for such a voluntary act filled my heart with an inexplicable feeling, its noble act I will never forget.

What do you prefer? A friend who accepts your sacrifice willingly or who supports you? Or both? Would you do the same for him?

Its in business and in friendship in part.