"You Get What You Pay For": A Few More Thoughts

"You get what you pay for" is one of those stupid phrases that people speak after someone has suffered a disappointment that offers neither comfort nor wisdom.

Someone purchases something at low cost; they end up unsatisfied; and so the speaker trots out those six little words, "You get what you pay for."

In reality the best you can say is that "On average you get what you pay for," and even that is questionable from the standpoint of anyone who does not believe Price is the voice of the Great God Market (which is to say, anyone not driven insane by immersion in orthodox economic theory).

Some people get cheated and exploited, as others reap the benefit. One party got less than they paid for, the other got a lot more. And some just end up unfortunate. (Even high-quality products are unlikely to be perfect, defects rarer, but not absolutely nonexistent--and the buyer might simply end up with the very rare dud.)

Still, it would probably be giving those addicted to this phrase too much credit to act as if they had any pretense toward representing reality. Their real motive in throwing around that phrase is apt to be kicking the disappointed person when they are already down, making them feel worse with the taunt "You get what you pay for."