Cui bono

The Jolly Contrarian’s Glossary The snippy guide to financial services lingo.™ Go Premium Index — Click the ᐅ to expand: Glossary Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Requests? Insults? We’d love to 📧 hear from you. Sign up for our newsletter.

Cui bono is Latin for “who benefits?”. When you’re not sure about a negotiation position, ask yourself this — but remember that, since you are having to ask, whoever is benefitting, most likely it isn’t you.

And when you come to send that email, to-all, perhaps where you say thanks — or, God forfend, thx — for a colleague’s reply to the most arcane topic, and as your finger hovers over the “send” button, take a moment to scan the distribution list and ask yourself, cui bono? Does the cc: line stretch to the horizon? Will these people care? Do they need to know? Will their professional day be, somehow, enriched?

If not — even if you’re not quite sure — strike them from the list and smile, for the answer to your question now — cui bono? — is we all will.

See also

• Reliance on legal advice