> But on the other hand, even you agree that there are a lot of people (not > just Americans, but a lot of people in the world) who want money. For some > of these people, it is precisely money that brings them happiness. And > who's to say that you can't have a happy career that also happens to produce > a lot of money? I don't see it as an either-or choice.
You can, and I do. I also don't see it as an either or choice. I just don't equate reaching the top management of a big company and having their astronomical salaries as the summum bonum of existence. > Sure, some rich > people are unhappy. But go to the bad, poverty-stricken part of town, and > you'll see some REALLY unhappy people. I volunteer for various charities, > and I spent the holidays providing toys for needy people who couldn't afford > to buy simple gifts for their children. I was happy to help out, but > that's some real misery I was looking at. These aren't the only two options. The vast middle ground between misery and misery is where I want to live. I have learned more from my defeats than from my successes and I have lived in those neighborhoods for much of my life. They are a fertile ground. > Like I said, if you're happy with your lot, then God bless you. But again, > I don't see that business success and ethics is necessarily an either-or > choice. You can be successful and ethical. > > And besides, I don't know that ethics has anything to do with this argument. > CCIE's can be just as unethical as anybody else. Yes of course they can, but that isn't the issue. The issue is what kind of life you have in the upper echelons of management. Like in politics however, you have to give up certain principles and worldviews in order to succeed in most if not all corporate cultures. I value the principles that I have which have more to do with working for the good of others over one's own selfish needs more than I value the uncompromising pursuit of self interest that is intrinsic in the corporate world. The pursuit of outrageous wealth is full of compromises I am unwilling to make. That said, are there those that have kept true to their principles and become wealthy? Of course. They have generally done it by *owning* companies, not managing them. All of this discussion speaks again to people having to decide on a path which fulfils them rather than merely applying statistical probability to very important decisions. :) Geoff Zinderdine CCIE #10410 Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=60306&t=59481 -------------------------------------------------- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
