On the bright side - once one is at the top and has power, the opportunity to set an example and inspire others to succeed in ethical practices is wide open. Once one is rich and famous, he/she has ample opportunity to inspire others to follow the rules, be ethical, and rise to greatness. Horrible advice if you expect to make it beyond mediocre in this world.
Speaking of those who will sacrifice all to achieve success - how about Larry Ellison giving a big f-u to the Justice Departmen prosecutors during the anti-trust trial regarding his acquisition of Peoplesoft. I know this happened several years ago, but come on, this is HILARIOUS....
Everyone loves a good show, and Ellison delivered. Besides the initial salt-of-the-earth musings and gunplay discussion, Ellison, the billionaire yachtsman, showed few executives can swagger like he can. When he testified at an eventual antitrust trial that could have blocked the PeopleSoft takeover, Ellison arrived in celebrity style (with cameras swarming outside the federal courthouse in San Francisco where the trial was held) in a natty charcoal suit with patriotic red tie. On his way to the witness stand, he swiped a bottle of water off the Justice Department lawyer's desk, sat down, opened the bottle, and took a deep, satisfied swig. It was a moment of pure arrogance. Classic Ellison.
BTW - Ellison and Oracle won this case.
2 comments:
They were nihilists man, they said they believed in nothing.....
Eff me, I mean, say what you want about the tenants of national socialism, at least its an ethos.
That nihilistic sentiment of "There's nothing you can do about it anway" is one of the biggest problems that our nation faces. I think it is at the heart of the neo-conservative political philosophy. For more thoughts on this issue read Dan Greene's blog and thoughts about Leo Strauss.
Morality gets people nailed to a cross. It's always been that way.
The reason this happens is because people are sinners. That's the one Catholic doctrine that's pretty obvious to everyone who studies politics or people in general. (All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. - St. Paul. Also, see Psalm 143.) People are jerks, always have been. Even the people we look up to and think are wonderful are flawed. It just takes a while to find the flaws, and some people hide them better than others do. Just don't be surprised.
And don't be disappointed to find that you're the one with the flaws. I used to think I was nearly perfect, but I was wrong. My kids even know this. However, this is not the end of the world. Being flawed doesn't mean our lives are worthless. Part of growing up is accepting the less-than-perfect way things are and just doing the best we can to make them better. It may not happen until you're 50 years old, but you eventually will be able to make peace with mankind's flaws and find your place in the human family.
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