The Fisherman and the Businessman

Many people don't understand that their time on Earth is so, so brief that they choose to spend time acheiving tangible accomplishments, rather than spending their waking hour reflecting on themselves.

Many of us reckon we should strive hard now in order to live comfortably in the future. Truth of the matter is, the harder you strive, the blinder you become.

I've come to know of a few who, in the name of material wealth and social status, have turned a blind eye to the little time they have in this world to rectify their wrong, to see themselves and others for who they really are and to hold on to their loved ones by their side.

Because who knows? You might just trip, fall and never wake up from a coma; cross the road and get knocked down by a skidding car, or simply choke and suffocate from a fishball.

Just as I was questioning why people around me have chosen the path they have, I saw Paulo Coelho's Facebook post on a one-minute reading of the Fisherman and the Businessman:

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. Someone found the English version, but could not identify the translator)


People do take things for granted....very much and very often.

If the pursuit blinds you some day, remember to remove the veil that shields your eye from plenty marvellous and beautiful things that have yet to be seen by your very shallow mind and eyes.