The West has got it all wrong

[Anonymous]

I once read a story about a Mexican fisherman derived from a German short story that perfectly encompasses the main takeaway here. For the sake of brevity, I'll keep to a shorter version of the story below:

An American investment banker once visited a small Mexican village and stopped by a pier. He met a Mexican fisherman and complimented him on the exquisite quality of his fish. He then asked him how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, "Only a little while. I catch enough to support me and my family." The American asked "why don't you spend more time fishing to profit more? What do you do with the rest of your time?"

The Mexican replied, "I like to sleep late, I play with my children, take a relaxing nap at noon with my wife, sip wine in the village, and play guitar with my friends at night. I have a very full and busy life."

The American scoffed, "I went to HBS (Harvard Business School), and I see the potential in your fish. You should spend more time fishing, expand and buy more boats. Eventually, you will have your own fleet of boats. You would then be able to bypass selling to a middleman and open your own cannery to sell to the masses and fully control your product. You will be able to leave this village as you continue to grow and move to Mexico City and run your large enterprise!"

The Mexican fisherman asked, "How long will this all take?"

The American then replied, "15–20 years."

"But then what?" Asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said, "That's the best part! You then announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public, making millions!"

"Millions — Then what?"

The American replied, "Then you retire! Move to a small village where you can fish a little, sleep late, play with your kids and nap with your wife, drink wine and play guitar with your friends!"

The moral of the story is that if you really want to enjoy your work and life, it has to start now. Do you want time to enjoy the small things? Or do you want to work at a job you hate and endure a stressful life so that you might actually find joy in 20 years?

[Anonymous]

Harvard graduates are dumbasses.