You may have heard the story of the story of the Mexican Fisherman and the MBA from Harvard. It goes like this:
An American investment banker was 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 and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied, “only a little while. The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs. The American then asked, “but what do you do with the rest of your time?”
The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas 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.” The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually, you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise.”
The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”
To which the American replied, “15 – 20 years.”
“But what then?” Asked the Mexican.
The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions!”
“Millions – then what?”
The American said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”
When you read this, if you feel the tug of a long forgotten memory, or the longing of some distant echo that has been lost, then you’re not alone. For much of our history, people would have lived in close knit villages of belonging and connectedness. If my experience is typical in the modern west, then we have lost this. It seems so familiar, but also so out of reach. The story is often promoted about choosing a simpler life. But even if we desire it, is not a path that is easily chosen. Why? Let’s consider a few aspects:
- The Mexican has a village or village square where people/community gather. The built environment is conducive to gathering, communal eating and games, dancing and music. The village square leads most people to know the others in their community and to foster friendships. What is the equivalent in Brisbane? Shopping malls? The pub? What built environment fosters this sense of connection?
- He has his lifelong friends there – compadre and amigos. They have lived close all their lives, and not moved away to find work. We, on the other hand, are very mobile. Friends will be made in a place, but the connection severed by distance.
- His wife and family, and most likely extended family, are an integrated part of his life. His parents and his children, if grown, live close by. Similar to the previous point, children will move away to pursue work. The extended family is stretched.
- Food is sourced locally and forms an integral part of the culture. It is not industrialised and is very close to its natural state. Food preparation and consumption is communal and part of the culture. We, on the other hand, have a very different relationship to our food.
- He is autonomous in his work and is able to direct his talents and skills towards it on an as needed basis. Work is not seen a “separate” from his life, but part of life’s continuum. We on the other hand, often feel that our work competes with “life”, and is not integrated into who we are.
- Activity, exercise, and sunshine are built into his day naturally. Work is physical, and would maintain strength, but not stress the body. We have to put exercise somewhere into that work-life equation. It is something else on our to-do list.
- Most likely belonged to a faith based community. Faith not seen in an “other worldly” dualistic way, but as integrated ritual into the life of the community with fasting and feasting, Sabbath “downtime” and community ritual. We, however, have lost the “enchantment” of life. Our lives do not fit into a greater unfolding story or narrative, and therefore it is more difficult to live with a purpose beyond ourselves.
- If there was some event in his life that resulted in calamity – say the boat was lost or the fisherman became sick, the community would support the fisherman and his family until he could contribute to others. Community support and charity are built into the lifestyle – surplus was shared and everyone expected to contribute. We, however, live in isolation. Charity is extended to the ‘poor’, but, as can be seen from this story, poverty is not the problem. Some of the happiest people in the world live far below the standards we have in the west.
All these things are givens for the Mexican – he does not have to manufacture them through the force of his will. But the story is often told as if it is merely an individual decision. Which is ironic because the focus on individuality is the core to much of current Australian society and the reason for where we are today.
Where are we today? Growing levels of what might be termed “Wicked Problems”… Growing levels of obesity and chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Growing levels of alienation and loneliness; abandonment in old age; family breakdown and fragmentation of the extended family; disaffected youth; drug abuse; rising levels of stress, anxiety, and depression; and rising levels of suicide.
This blog arises out of a dissatisfaction about the way things are, and also from that distant longing and memory of how things could be different. If you feel the same, please join me, because collectively we can change culture.
No topic will be out of scope: this blog will not specialise because cultural change requires the integration of many different aspects.