The MBA and the fisherman

[BR_Parkway]

found this on the web, really says volumes about where we are and how we got here if you think about it:

An American businessman was 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 yellowfin tuna.

The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied, "only a little while." The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.

The American then asked, "But 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 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 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 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 or 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 and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."

"Millions, senor? Then what?"

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal 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 where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

[HopeHoops]

1. That says it all!

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

2. I like! Thanks :)

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

13. I just hung out with the MBA yesterday. Have to tell...

He and I used to work together until I was whacked at the end of 2007. Haven't seen or heard from him since. But earlier in the week, we had a random encounter, chatted for only a minute, and he invited me to his place Sunday to watch football.

Football? lol more like talk therapy.

He was lamenting about his lot in life. He's the manager of accounting and told me that under the new management, all the company cares about is costs, mostly staff costs. They have to work crazier hours than the crazy hours they used to work. More weekends--this is a Fortune 500 company. Moreover, no one feels safe. In fact, he's been told that he is not liked, and on top of that, says his boss (my former boss) is throwing him under the bus to save her own skin. Of course, he feels stuck because he can't afford to take a pay cut. His cost of living is just too high.

These guys always considered me an underachiever, so I didn't mind noting that my lifestyle was starting to look a lot better. ;)

[conspirator]

3. That's a good one. Makes you wonder how long you spend grinding on a pointless job

hoping that someday you will be owner of your time.

[Liberation Angel]

4. this is so good

thanks very much

[Odin2005]

5. Living to work vs. working to live.

The Mexican dude has the right idea. It's what I like about Latin American culture, they don't have the Calvinistic shibboleths about toil being virtuous and relaxation being sinful.

[DCKit]

6. "Living to work vs. working to live." Well said. n/t

[Odin2005]

7. Thank you!

I hate the Calvinistic "workaholism is a sign of being one of The Elect that will go to Heaven" mindset. My philosophy is "Everything in Moderation". Working yourself to death is just as bad for you as debauched excessive pleasure-seeking. Indeed, IMO Workaholism leads to people engaging in disturbed and debauched behavior in secret to deal with their pent-up issues.

[Blue_Tires]

10. +1

[Taitertots]

8. Then the Mexican man gets sick and his family starves

[vadawg]

9. lol ever the optimist, i guess it depends on what you want

mayby work the 20 years so you could set your kids up to do what ever they want in life, rather than forcing them into having to catch fish as well, its never as simple as these little parables seem to be. nice tale though...

[dem mba]

11. haha

pretty good.

[DemBones DemBones]

12. Thanks for posting that story. I've always loved it.

We forget these things sometimes.