I wonder if any of you remember the famous speech from the ’87 classic Wall Street?
Gekko the super slick stockbroker with the $5,000 suits told us:
“The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed- for lack of a better word- is good.
Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.
Greed, in all of its forms-greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge- has marked the upward surge of mankind.
And greed-you mark my words-will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA.
Thank you very much.”
Umair Haque is the founder of a think-tank called Bubblegeneration. They study new media and new ideas.
He recently wrote The Smart Growth Manifesto for The Harvard Business School online newsletter. I think you should read it.
If you will, let me know what you think. Comment right here at The Lively Merchant.
Let’s have this conversation.
David, after doing the assigned reading, my brain feels like my legs would if I had run a marathon. What a thought provoking article. Haque makes a lot of sense and I think the generations following my Boomer generation get this. It almost harkens back to the generation who grew up in the shadow of the Great Depression. They learned to buy the best you can afford and use it/wear it/own it responsibly. “Just stuff” is overwhelming; “thoughtfully, purposely chosen stuff” enhances our lives. That’s what home furnishings are – things that are functional and beautiful so they soothe both body and soul. Bigger isn’t better; it is just bigger. The economy of scale doesn’t matter if the economy isn’t functioning.
Julian that is a wonderful sentiment. And to my mind the exact mindset for solving all this country’s problems.
Brains over brawn, quality over quantity, happiness over possessions, generousity over greed. Love and laughter conquers.
I agree. The family owned, family run, company is positioned to lead the country out of this financial mess we are in. Mark Leary said; “People often make better decisions when they don’t think about them. Go with your gut.” The traded companies couldn’t take this advice because they are too focused on watching their backsides.
BTW, after seeing Gekko again, I am aware of why David and I are both combing our hair straight back these days…
At the risk of sounding 20th century, isn’t this the final manifestation of high touch vs. high tech? If what Haque says proves true, and I believe it will, then smaller, family owned enterprises will have a big leg up on the competition as we “remake capitalism” because we have already been doing all these things just to survive!