Pearls of Wisdom

Melissa sent me an email forward the other day, and I decided that it's similar enough in philosophy to the Hermit Manifesto to post it here. (I'm not sure where this originated, so I can't cite the author or anything.) Take it to heart, readers!

An investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The investment banker complimented the fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The fisherman replied, "Only a little while."

The investment banker then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" The fisherman said, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs." The investment banker then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" The fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, stroll into the village each evening and spend time with my family, I have a full and busy life."

The investment banker scoffed, "I have a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to a big town and eventually to the the city where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise."

The fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?" To which the investment banker replied, "15 to 20 years." "But what then?" asked the fisherman. The investment banker laughed and said that's the best part. "When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions." "Millions?...Then what?"

The investment banker said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings and spend time with your family."

This is why I do what I do.

[UPDATE: According to Caitlin, This story is adapted from a piece written by Heinrich Boell entitled, "Anekdote zur Senkung der Arbeitsmoral." That is, "Anecdote concerning the declining work ethic." If you read German, you might want to click here.]