That last entry was a little bit painful to put on a page.

It had that weird Gordon Gecko feeling about it that since the end of the 80s we’ve been trying to wash off of the noble pursuit of business. We really want to believe that everything we do is some kind of high-minded pursuit to improve the human condition. This is a good thing. It is a lot better to be a slightly delusion idealist than a shiftless corporate raider any day.

Unfortunately, the nature of doing business means that we can’t always operate like this and that we should try to be honest enough to take a more moderate view of our motivations. By admitting to ourselves that we are as capable of being ruthless as we are of being selfless, we guard against those toxic self-deceptions that lead to really bad things sneaking up on us.

Fear, hope and greed are the universal motivators of human kind.

It’s a clever company indeed that finds ways to ride our fear of the present, hope for the future and unceasing greed for the novelty and stuff.