“If all are equal, then why strive?”
– Thomas Peterffy, 68-year old emigre from Socialist Hungary and founder of Interactive Brokers
He’s paid over $1.9 billion in taxes since coming to America, and he’s not a conservative.
He does have an interesting take on this election though, and it spills over to the whole “participation trophy” direction in which we’re headed.
Competition is good. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, but if there’s no incentive to strive, why even show up?
Know anyone who’s ever lost a job? Who’s ever lost a deal? Know anyone who’s ever did their best and still lost a job or a deal? We all do, of course. Someone else got that job. Someone else got that deal. So, why do some people want our kids to get done with school thinking that everyone wins every time? And why would we want them to think that life is always going to be fair? It isn’t, or so I’ve noticed.
If life was fair, my parents would have seen their 70’s. If life was fair, I could have thrown a slider, and played baseball for money. If life was fair, the original Miami Vice would have aired forever and CheezWhiz would flow from water fountains in every park in the land.
Life isn’t fair. So, when we tell kids that everyone always gets a trophy, and when we tell 68-year-old emigres who’ve paid $1.9 billion in taxes that they aren’t paying “their fair share,” we ought to be ready for some pretty harsh backlash.
Look, I don’t care who you vote for, as long as you vote (more on that tomorrow), but Thomas’ perspective is worth considering.
gil wohler says
Why are we so afraid of “measuring” ourselves? Why are we afraid to teach our children that? I believe that it is a prime example of the minority getting their way. I also believe that without the ” someone wins, someone loses” reality, we fail to teach life lessons that will come back to haunt those we love in the long run.
Great read Steve!
Steve Heston says
Thanks, GeeDub. A mutual friend of ours once said, when complimented on how he was raising his children, “Thank you very much, but they are already children. I’m trying to raise adults.” Pretty good perspective.
Barb Woods says
CheezWhiz?? Bailey’s maybe, or chocolate . . . but CheezWhiz??
Today’s we- all-got-a-trophy kids will have plenty to talk about in therapy as life begins to instruct them. Hopefully, our companies won’t fail them as misguided parents and teachers did!
Steve Heston says
Barbara, I am ok if you substitute whatever decadent sorta-liquid-based water-fountain-flow you choose. I had a CheezWhiz moment. It’s hard to explain!
Barb Woods says
I can only imagine that moment and the difficulty of explaining!!
gil wohler says
One more thought. I agree that teaching ” life isn’t always fair” is important. It goes right along with “pain is a part of life”.
Steve Heston says
I toyed with “life is never fair,” but then I decided that might be a bit over the top, even for me!
Mick Kirisits says
Each day I look forward to your “message” and read each one, today’s was exceptional!
Thanks for sharing Steve!!
Steve Heston says
Thanks for chiming in, Mick!