Thales...an “old School” Entrepreneur

The Greek mathematician /philosopher, Thales was born around 624BC. Some thought him to be what we might call the original “absent-minded professor”. Plato tells of a time when Thales was walking along one night, studying the stars as he walked right into a canal. As a nearby servant girl came to the rescue, she asked how he could understand the mysteries of the stars, when he didn't even know what was under his feet. However, a different perspective of Thales of Miletus is offered by Aristotle.

He shares with the world a story of Thales evaluating the market opportunities and proactively assuring a major success. Thales often philosophized about the ills of being rich. Someone retorted that the only reason for this view was Thales was too lazy to make a success of himself. This reproach prompted him to attempt to dispel the thoughts once and for all, to demonstrate that one could make a success if that was the goal. The philosopher observed that the olive crop had been poor for a few years and undertook to research several cycles of the olive harvest. He determine a reliable pattern in his research, implying a bumper crop for the coming season. As olive oil was a critical commodity of the region, he prepared a business plan....to lease every olive press in the regions round about! Thales set about placing a deposit on ever single olive press.

The olive harvest was, indeed, a bounteous one. The olive growers went to have their crops pressed to obtain the precious oil, only to discover that the had to visit Thales. He could set whatever price he chose for his services, thus disproving his detractors and producing a massive fortune. What if the crop had been mediocre? It seems that he was still bound to profit from his monopoly even if the crop was small!

“No success in life can compensate for failure in the home”

I have an acquaintance of several years, whose wife is a very dear friend of my wife. I'll just call them John & Melinda. (You know,the names have been changed to protect the “innocent”.)

Until a couple years back, this man had a very secure job with the state in which he resides. The family lives in a quiet rural town, 150 miles from the urban center of the region....pretty cool situation. To be able to live in a clean air environment, removed from the “rat race” of today's hustles and hassles, yet still providing a “big city” income and where you know everyone and they know you is but a dream for most Americans!

John left his state career-level position. His writing career had caught fire. He and Melinda believed that his side business had “made it”. He authors e-book content and initially sold through Clickbank, using concepts of Affiliate Marketing, and presently also sells though a series of personally owned websites. Additionally, he has begun teaching his methods as an additional stream of income. John presently has over 20 websites registered to him.

I would normally applaud John for his success. Over time, as his “success” seemed to soar, John began withdrawing from his family...mostly from his wife. John's parents live near the urban center. John often found reason to spend long periods working from his parents' home, 150 miles from Melinda and their young boys.

Upon awaking one day to prepare for his departure for one of these long breaks, John left a note for Melinda requesting a divorce and outlining the terms he expected. During the process of filing, John has declared that he has virtually no income to provide child support or any form of spousal support. His parents bought John a new home near the urban center. Yet one of his demands is to sell the family's home, and the boys go live with him. Melinda can fend for herself, paying him child support.

I recently visited a few of John's websites, some of which focus on a positive message of a happy, joyful life. They seem to be operational and bear today's date. One even shows a family photo. One site brags on his making over $100,000 dollars per year beneath the current date! I have heard it said that “No success in life can compensate for failure in the home”. It is true that I have only heard part of the story. However, if even half is true, John is a living example of the antithesis of the Righteous Entrepreneur.

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E-challenge for Snow College Business students

Was the Good Samaritan a Righteous Entrepreneur?

I recently reviewed the Biblical account of the Good Samaritan. It seems to me that this man was likely a man of independent means. His business provided the opportunity and the financial resources to travel. He was apparently known and trusted by the innkeeper. As he departed to resume his business trip, leaving funds for the care of the injured victim, he asked that the innkeeper keep an accounting of additional expenditures, to be repaid when the Samaritan returned. Should we not prepare to be able to provide for such events ourselves? Additional scriptural accounts suggest that if our motives are to assist God's children, we will be blessed with the means to do so.