The Story of Esther the Wonder Pig: A Valuable Lesson

What would you if you if the adorable 4-lb miniature
potbellied pig, expected to grow to 70 lbs
maximum gradually grows to 650 lbs.?

The little piggy in question later named Esther,
was, in reality, a commercial animal and not
the tiny porcine represented.

Faced with the unexpected costly upkeep of a
beloved pet, Esther’s owners combined their skill set
and ingenuity with entrepreneurship: social media,
humor, animal rights, and education

Otherwise, Esther’s owners might have been
forced to give her up. So one can’t help wondering
whether Esther’s breeder pull a fast one or sell
the pig believing it was a miniature, making
an honest but incompetent mistake?
(Hmm, even Esther might roll her eyes.)

There’s a simple way to identify whether a piglet
is mini versus regular sized. For example, a miniature p
ig will have a straight tail. Commercial porkers have curly
tails. Research beforehand would have revealed
that information. Legally, in one case, the judge ruled against an
unhappy pet owner, citing failure to research the traits
and behavior of the animal purchased.

Some info professionals point to one explanation
for the pig purchase originally gone awry
The Dunning-Kruger Effect: relying on
faulty assumptions about what one knows about
a subject or in this case, relying instead on someone
else’s knowledge or skillset.

Viewing Esther at bath time may well inspire some
viewers to always apply the Dunning-Kruger Effect
in every situation when deciding to buy a service
or product …especially if the product eats and needs care.or

Making decisions based on assumptions
and failing to gather facts independently gives others
the upper hand. Sometimes consequences are enormous.

References