What Böhm-Bawerk shows us, then, is that the individual, the pioneer, prioritizes the use of his grain according to what he subjectively considers to be his most urgent wants. So, for the pioneer, feeding parrots (i.e., entertainment) is less valuable than whiskey or diversifying his diet. The study of praxeology is all about human action and why people act.

This example also allows us to make another point: the study of human action refuses to render normative moral judgement on the choices made by individuals. Is the pioneer right to prefer whiskey to parrots? It does not matter. Asking that question takes us away from the essential question: why do people act?

It is also important to note that, as the pioneer’s stock of goods increases, his living conditions improve. The available goods in an economy, therefore, has a direct effect on people’s living conditions and prices of those goods. What this pioneer example and his sacks of grain shows us is that an abundance of goods allows new alternatives to emerge. Thanks to the increase in his goods, the farmer has new opportunities.