Tuesday 14 July 2015

Short Story: Going Back To The Basics


I like this story below, but I think the author is missing something quite important.... Read the story, and then read my opinions, I shared them at the end.

An American businessman was standing at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.
"How long did it take you to catch them?" the American asked. 
"Only a little while" the Mexican replied. 
"Why don't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" the American then asked. 
"I have enough to support my family's immediate needs" the Mexican said. 
"But" the American then asked, "What do you do with the rest of your time?" 
The Mexican fisherman said: "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, senor." 
The American scoffed: "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds you could buy a bigger boat and, 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 consumers, eventually opening your own can factory. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise." 
The Mexican fisherman asked: "But senor, how long will this all take?" 
To which the American replied: "15-20 years." 
"But what then, senor?" 
The American laughed and said: "That's the best part. When the time is right, you would announce an IPO - an Initial Public Offering - and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions." 
"Millions, senor? Then what?" 
The American said slowly: "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos..."


What do you think about this story? I understand that the main point is the fact that many times, most people are missing the things that are actually the most important in their lives - family, friends, enjoying the little pleasures that make life worth living, etc. However, the story leads one to assume there is no point in working hard to amass wealth and making a name. I think amassing wealth is important, for the sole reason of being a blessing to as many people as you can. Can you count how many lives Bill Gates has changed or touched in one way or another? Even after his death, the things he has achieved will still be a blessing, what if Bill Gates had decided to be just like the Mexican fisherman?...

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Hi there, thanks for stopping by to read this, I hope you enjoyed it. Please feel free to share your views.