1 minute reading : The Fisherman and The Businessman

[Kamaavi]

 

There was once a businessman who was sitting by the beach in a small Brazilian village. As he sat, he saw a Brazilian fisherman rowing a small boat towards the shore having caught quite few big fish.

The businessman was impressed and asked the fisherman, “How long does it take you to catch so many fish?”

The fisherman replied, “Oh, just a short while.”

“Then why don’t you stay longer at sea and catch even more?” The businessman was astonished.

“This is enough to feed my whole family,” the fisherman said.

The businessman then asked, “So, what do you do for the rest of the day?”

The fisherman replied, “Well, I usually wake up early in the morning, go out to sea and catch a few fish, then go back and play with my kids. In the afternoon, I take a nap with my wife, and evening comes, I join my buddies in the village for a drink — we play guitar, sing and dance throughout the night.”

 

The businessman offered a suggestion to the fisherman.

“I am a PhD in business management. I could help you to become a more successful person. From now on, you should spend more time at sea and try to catch as many fish as possible. When you have saved enough money, you could buy a bigger boat and catch even more fish. Soon you will be able to afford to buy more boats, set up your own company, your own production plant for canned food and distribution network. By then, you will have moved out of this village and to Sao Paulo, where you can set up HQ to manage your other branches.”

 

The fisherman continues, “And after that?”

The businessman laughs heartily, “After that, you can live like a king in your own house, and when the time is right, you can go public and float your shares in the Stock Exchange, and you will be rich.”

The fisherman asks, “And after that?”

The businessman says, “After that, you can finally retire, you can move to a house by the fishing village, wake up early in the morning, catch a few fish, then return home to play with kids, have a nice afternoon nap with your wife, and when evening comes, you can join your buddies for a drink, play the guitar, sing and dance throughout the night!”

The fisherman was puzzled, “Isn’t that what I am doing now?”

Classic Brazilian story, probably also present in other cultures!

[Kulmiye]

capitalism= corporate slavery, enjoy your family- nice

[Kamaavi]

My money is on the family & tolka. Every body knows that!

[wyre]

Back to where u started camal miyaa lol

[Showqi]

Sometimes a little is more.....................The fisherman waa nin iimaankiisa qaba

[Kamaavi]

There are two aims available for any human being and this is, was, and will remain for ever.

 

1. Yearning for peace, serenity, satisfaction, contentment

 

2. Yearning for richdom, fame, power, superiority.

 

 

Those that choose the first, are happy people. Often envied.

[Kamaavi]

Showqi;682551 wrote:

Sometimes a little is more.....................The fisherman waa nin iimaankiisa qaba

The fiisherman has what he needed, and realized it too.

[Bashiir]

Good one, I liked it.

[Ismalura]

Nice story and a wonderful life lesson Kaamvi. If the took the advice he might have ended up losing the kids, the wife and the friends in the pursuit of becoming rich. This is a proof that we have everything we need if only we are content !

 

I should send this story to some of my friends who don't believe me when I say I don't care about being very rich.

[Bashiir]

Send it to those in Africa too, who want to come western. It might save them from Tahrib!

[AbdiHilaac]

Good story but lets not forget if he followed the businessman's advice it does not mean he will definitely be doomed.

 

I think these sort of stories are what keep the poor poor and the rich rich.

 

Don't get me wrong, I didn't say money was more important than family etc...

[Cara.]

Nice story Kamaavi, but let's not forget that a fisherman's livelihood is in fishing daily, and if something goes wrong (his boat is stolen, the fish swim away to fish utopia) he won't be dancing for long. Whereas the retired lawyer is just faffing around, if the weather looks bad one day he doesn't have to go haul in a catch to be able to send his children to school.

 

Same difference between a farmer and someone who gardens as a hobby.

 

Let's not over-romanticize sustinence-level living

[Taleexi]

Nice one. It is all relative.

[Kamaavi]

Cara I have heard you.

[Jacaylbaro]

Let's not over-romanticize sustinence-level living