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Mexican Fisherman Meets Harvard MBA What Really Matters in Life?

One of the most inspirational and touching story I have read. This story is originally written by Heinrich Böll, and the title was: Anekdote zur Senkung der Arbeitsmoral (“Anecdote on the Decline of the Work Ethic”). It is about an encounter between an enterprising tourist and a small fisherman, in which the tourist suggests how the fisherman can improve his life.

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 yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.

The American Harvard MBA: How long it took you to catch them?
The Mexican Fisherman: Only a little while.

The American Harvard MBA: Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?
The Mexican Fisherman: I have enough to support my family’s immediate needs.

The American Harvard MBA: But what do you do with the rest of your time?
The Mexican Fisherman: Responding with a smile, “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 Harvard MBA: Impatiently interrupted, “Look, I have an MBA from Harvard, and I can help you to be more profitable. You can start by fishing several hours longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra money, you can buy a bigger boat. With the additional income that larger boat will bring, before long you can buy a second boat, then a third one, and so on, until you have an entire fleet of fishing boats.”

The American Harvard MBA: Proud of his own sharp thinking, he excitedly elaborated a grand scheme which could bring even bigger profits, “Then, instead of selling your catch to a middleman you’ll be able to sell your fish directly to the processor, or even open your own cannery. Eventually, you could control the product, processing and distribution. You could leave this tiny coastal village and move to Mexico City, or possibly even Los Angeles or New York City, where you could even further expand your enterprise.”

The Mexican Fisherman: asked, “But senor, how long will this all take?”
The American Harvard MBA: After a rapid mental calculation, he replied “Probably about 15-20 years, maybe less if you work really hard.”

The Mexican Fisherman: asked, “And then what, senor?”
The American Harvard MBA: laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO (Initial Public Offering) and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.”

The Mexican Fisherman: asked “Millions, senor? Then what?”
The American Harvard MBA: 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”

The moral of the story is:
Life is Simple. Know what really matters in life, and you may find that it is already much closer than you think.

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Author: sakinshrestha

Hello. My name is Sakin Shrestha, and I am a technology entrepreneur from Nepal. I am passionate about helping this sector grow, for many reasons. The technology sector creates jobs for many young Nepalis who would otherwise migrate to foreign countries. It lets Nepali professionals develop skills for a fast-changing global workplace, and compete at a high level with anyone, anywhere in the world. If it grows, it will provide a viable career option for many young Nepalis, and help us reap the benefits of a global economy.

4 thoughts on “Mexican Fisherman Meets Harvard MBA What Really Matters in Life?

  1. Raymond Dianito says:

    Actually, the Democrat they’re referring to, Sen. Wyden, has rejected the Romney-Ryan plan and voted against it in the Senate.

    As the Democratic senator said, “Bipartisanship requires that you not
    make up the facts,” and “Governor Romney is talking nonsense.”

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  2. Prasid Joshi says:

    Nice story, MBA student’s vision and Fishermen’s perception are entirely different in searching and getting things perfectly important in own life. We are all in search of happiness through our activities.

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