A tutor came into the coffee shop and loudly declared she was spending the last $9 in her bank account on coffee and a pastry. She hoped she had enough left for gas.

Because of the volume of her voice, and apparent tendency to overshare, I learned a lot about her in the 45 seconds she was in the shop. She also had to be at her next tutoring assignment in five minutes.

Unfortunately, I never learned what subject she tutors. I hope to God it isn’t math–the precursor to balancing your bank account or leaving for appointments with enough time to get there, factoring in the time it will take to spend your last $9 at a coffee shop.

The point is, this lady has a few obvious lessons to learn, but her profession is teaching others.

Okay maybe I am being a little harsh on her–maybe she’s a genius in literature or history. But most people are testaments to the fact that they don’t know how to act in their own self-interest.