Afleveringen
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To this day, I can clearly remember a scene of pretending to be stupid. At that time, I was thinking about how to raise 15,000 dollars, and I was thinking about it when I walked on the street. Interestingly speaking, just as my mind was flashing with the idea of borrowing or borrowing money, a banker blocked my way. He whispered from the carriage: “Do you want to spend fifty thousand dollars, Mr. Rockefeller?” Am I lucky? I did not believe my ears even a slightest bit. But at that moment, I did not show even the slightest eagerness. I looked at the other person’s face and told him slowly: “That’s it... Can you give me twenty-four hours to think about it?” As a result, signed a loan contract with him on terms that were the most favourable to me.
Playing stupid brings you many benefits. The meaning of pretending to be stupid is to stay a low profile and become humble, in other words, to hide your cleverness. The smarter the person, the more necessary it is for them to play stupid, because as the saying goes – the more mature the rice, the more they sag.
Son, only after having hobbies can you then do it with ease. Now, start to love acting like a fool!
I expect that in the days when I am not around, it would be no easy task for you to face everything alone, but this is nothing. “Let me wait before talking” is the motto I always follow in business. I always have a habit of thinking before making a decision, I always think and judge calmly, but once I make a decision, I will implement it without hesitation. I believe you can do it too.
Love,
Your Father
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Doing small things is the cornerstone of making big things. If you are at the top from the beginning, you will not consider the mood of your subordinates, and you will not be able to use others. To survive and create achievements in this world, you must rely on manpower, that is, the power of others, but you must start from doing small things to understand the mood of being a subordinate. When you take on a higher position one day, you will know how to let them contribute all of their work enthusiasm.
Son, there are only two kinds of smart people in the world: one is smart people who use themselves, such as artists, scholars, and actors; the other is smart people who use others, such as managers and leaders. The latter needs a special ability – the ability to grasp the heart. But many leaders are clever fools. They think that in order to seize the hearts of the people, they must follow a top-down command. In my opinion, this will not only fail to gain leadership, but will reduce it by a lot. You know, everyone is very sensitive to being underestimated, and being underestimated will lose energy. Such leaders will only incapacitate subordinates.
If a pig is well praised, it can climb the tree. Managers, leaders or people who are good at driving others have always been magnanimous and they know the art of admiring others and praising others. This means they have to give emotionally. Leaders who give their deep feelings will eventually win and gain more respect from subordinates.
People without knowledge are ultimately useless, but those with knowledge are likely to become slaves of knowledge. Everyone needs to know that all knowledge will be transformed into preconceived notions, and the result will be one-sided conservative psychology, thinking that “I understand”, “I understand”, and “society is like this”. With the prejudice of “understanding”, there will be a lack of interest in knowing, and if there is no interest, it will lose the motivation to move forward, and only boredom is left waiting. Therefore, not understanding will lead to success
However, under the control of self-esteem and sense of honour, many knowledgeable people always find it difficult to “don't understand”, as if asking others for advice, saying that they don't understand is a shameful thing, and even regard ignorance as a sin. This is trying to be smart, and they will never understand this great motto – every opportunity that we don't understand will become a turning point in our lives.
A person who is smart is a fool, and a person who knows how to play a fool is really smart. If smartness is regarded as a criterion for reaping benefits, then I am obviously not a fool. -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Be the foolish smart person
People who have not experienced misfortune are unfortunate.
Give a pig a good compliment, and it can climb up the tree.
A person who is smart is a fool, and a person who knows how to play a fool is smart.
(The leaders who offer high sentiments always win in the end, and get more out of their followers)
October 9, 1890
Dear John:
Tomorrow, I will go back to my hometown, Cleveland, to deal with some of our family’s own affairs. I hope you can take care of some affairs for me during this period. But I remind you that if you encounter something tricky or you cannot make up your mind, you should ask Mr. Gates more for help and advice.
Mr. Gates is my most capable assistant. He is loyal and sincere, outspoken, conscientious, and shrewd. He can always help me make wise choices. I trust him very much. I believe he will be of great help to you. The premise is that you have to respect him.
Son, I know you are an outstanding graduate of Brown University, and your knowledge of economics and sociology is excellent. However, you should be clear that knowledge is originally empty, and unless knowledge is put into action, nothing will happen. Moreover, the knowledge in the textbooks is almost all compiled by writers with theoretical knowledge, hence, it is difficult to use it to help you solve practical problems.
I hope you can get rid of your dependence on knowledge and learning. This is the key to your smooth journey in life.
You need to know that learning itself is not very good. Learning must be used to make it work. To become a person who can use what you have learned, you must first become a person with practical ability.
So where does the ability to practice come from? In my opinion, it is hidden in hardship. My experience tells me that walking a difficult road – a road full of hardships, misfortunes, failures and difficulties will not only build our strong character, but also the ability to implement great things that we rely on will come into being. Those who climb out of the midst of suffering know what it means to find ways and means to save themselves. To endure hardship deliberately is one of my beliefs of success.
Maybe you might ridicule me, thinking that there is nothing more stupid than trying to experience hardship deliberately. No! People who have no experience with misfortune are unfortunate. A lot of things come and go quickly. Those who have realized their dreams of becoming famous overnight and getting rich overnight, which one of them did not disappear without a trace all of a sudden? What you get from hardship is having the ability to build your career on a solid ground, not in quicksand. People must have foresight, and only after a long period of hardship can they have a long-term harvest.
I believe you have discovered that since you came to work with me, I have not given you a heavy burden to choose. But this does not show that I doubt your ability, I just hope you are good at doing small things. -
A long, long time ago, a wise old king wanted to compile a wisdom record for future generations. One day, the old king summoned his clever courtiers and said: “A mind without wisdom is like a lantern without a candle. I want you to compile a book of wisdom from all ages to illuminate the future of your children and grandchildren.”
After the wise men took orders and left, they worked for a long time, finally completed a masterpiece of twelve volumes, and proudly declared: “Your Majesty, this is a record of wisdom from all ages.”
The old king looked at it and said, “Sirs, I am sure that this is the crystallization of the wisdom of all ages. However, it is too thick, and people will not be able to read it. Condense it!" These smart people spent a lot of time, and after several deletions, a book was completed. However, the old king still thought it was too long and ordered them to condense again.
These smart people condensed a book into a chapter, then reduced it to a page, then turned it into a paragraph, and finally turned it into a sentence. The wise old king was very proud when he saw these words. “Gentlemen,” he said: “This is really the crystallization of the wisdom of all ages, and once people everywhere know this truth, most of our problems can be solved.” This saying is what we have known as: “There is no free lunch in the world.”
The first and last chapter of the Book of Wisdom states that there is “no free lunch in the world”. If people know that getting ahead is at the cost of hard work, most people will achieve something and at the same time will make the world a better place. And those who eat lunch for nothing will sooner or later pay the price.
To live, a person must create something within himself and the outside world that is enough to make his life and death a little dignified.
Love,
Your Father -
“The next day, I added a little more food and planted a plank a few feet away. The board temporarily frightened them off like a ghost, but the free lunch was tempting, so they soon ran back to continue eating. At the time, the wild boar did not know that they were going to be mine. After that, all I have to do is to plant a few more boards around the grain every day until my trap is complete.”
“Then I dug a hole and erected the first corner pile. Every time I add something, they will stay away for some time, but in the end, they will come again for free lunch. The fence is built, and the trap door is ready. Well, the habit of getting something for nothing made them walk into the fence without any hesitation. At this time, I unexpectedly put away the trap, and the pigs that ate free lunch were easily caught by me.”
The moral of this story is simple, when an animal depends on humans for food, its wit will be taken away, and then it will be in trouble. The same situation applies to human beings. If you want to make a person disabled, just give him a pair of crutches, and wait for a few months to achieve your goal. In other words, if you give someone a free lunch for a certain period, he/she will develop the habit of getting something for nothing. Do not forget, everyone has a need to be “taken care of” in the womb.
Yes, I always encourage you to help others, but as I always tell you, if you give a person a fish, you can only support him for one day, but if you teach him the skill of fishing, it is equivalent to supporting him for life. This old saying about fishing is very meaningful.
In my opinion, donating money is a wrong kind of help. It will make a person lose the motivation to be thrifty and diligent, and become lazy, unpredictable, and unaccountable. More importantly, when you give alms to a person, you deny his dignity, and if you deny his dignity, you take away his destiny, which is extremely immoral in my opinion. As a rich man, I have the responsibility to be a messenger for the benefit of mankind, but I cannot be the initiator of making lazy people.
Once any person develops a habit, whether it is good or bad, the habit will always possess him. The habit of eating lunch for nothing will not help a person progress, but only make him lose the chance to win. But hard work is the only reliable way out. Work is the price we pay for enjoying success. Wealth and happiness can only be obtained by hard work. -
There is no free lunch in the world
If You want to make a person disabled, just give him a pair of crutches.
Deny his dignity, and you take away his fate.
The first and last chapter of the book of wisdom is that there is no free lunch in the world.
(Both within and without, a little of that constitutes the dignity of life and death.)
March 17, 1911
Dear John:
I have noticed the news that accused me of being stingy, saying that I do not donate enough. It is nothing. I have been scolded enough by reporters who do not know me, and I am used to their ignorance and harshness. There is only one way I respond to them: to remain silent and unjustified, no matter how they verbally criticize me. Because I know what I think, I firmly believe that I am on the right side.
Everyone needs to go their own way, and it is important to have a clear conscience. There is a story that may explain why I rarely pay attention to the beggars who beg me to give them money to solve their personal problems, and it can also explain why this makes me more nervous than earning money.
The story goes like this:
There was a farmer who kept a few pigs in captivity. One day, the owner forgot to close the door and gave the pigs a chance to escape. After a few generations, these pigs became more and more fierce and began to threaten pedestrians passing by. Several experienced hunters heard about this and wanted to capture them for the people. However, these pigs were very cunning and could never be fooled.
John, when the pigs start to become independent, they will become tough and smart.
One day, an old man was chasing a donkey that was dragging a two-wheeled cart with a lot of wood and grain when he walked into a village where the “wild boars” roamed. The locals were very curious, so they walked forward and asked the old man: “Where are you from, what are you going to do?” The old man told them, “I’ll help you catch the wild boars!” The villagers laughed at him as soon as they heard it: “Don't be funny now, how can you do something that even a good hunter could not do.” However, two months later, the old man came back and told the villagers in that village that the wild boars had been locked in a fence on the top of the mountain.
The villagers were surprised again, and asked the old man: “Really? Unbelievable, how did you catch them?" The old man explained, "First of all, go to a place where wild boars often come out to eat. Then, I put some food in the middle of the open space as a bait for the trap. The pigs were startled at first, but eventually ran over curiously to smell the food. Soon an old wild boar ate the first bite, and other wild boars followed. I knew then, I must be able to catch them. -
I know that Colonel Potts wanted to prove himself to the great Moses, but he failed, he failed completely. A few years later, Potts gave up his desire to confront me and became an active and diligent director of one of my companies. This shrewd and slippery oil dealer!
Arrogance usually leads to downfall. Scott and Potts and his ilk thought they were of noble origin and were always arrogant. Therefore, my heart was fluttering when I successfully tamed these arrogant donkeys.
John, I like victory, but I do not like unscrupulous pursuit of victory. A victory at any cost is not a victory. The ugly means of competition is disgusting. It is tantamount to painting the ground as a prison. You may never be able to surpass it. Even if you win a victory, you may lose the chance to win again.
And compliance does not mean that we must lower our determination to pursue victory, but it means using an ethical way to win a clear victory, and it also means that under such restrictions, we must strive to pursue victory fairly and ruthlessly. I hope you can do this.
Love,
Your Father -
I first met up with the owner of Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Mr. Scott. I told him bluntly that Mr. Potts was a poacher and he was breaking into our territory. We must stop him. But Mr. Scott was very stubborn and determined to allow Potts’ thieving to continue. I had no choice but to challenge this powerful enemy.
First, we terminated all business dealings with Pennsylvania Railroad Company. I instructed our subordinates to transfer the transportation business to the two major railway companies that have always firmly supported us, asked them to reduce freight rates, compete with Pennsylvania Railroad Company, weaken its power; and at the same time order all refineries in Pittsburgh that depend on the Empire Company for transportation to close; subsequently they instructed all its own refineries that were in competition with the Empire Company to sell refined oil at prices far lower than them. Pennsylvania Railroad Company is the largest transportation company in the United States. Mr. Scott held large power when it comes to transportation. They were proud that they have never been conquered. But under my three-dimensional oppressive style of play, they could only surrender.
To fight against me, they reluctantly gave our competitors huge discounts. In other words, they paid others even when serving them. Then they resorted to an unpopular move – cutting employee and cutting wages. Scott and Potts did not expect that this would soon lead to punishment. In order to vent their dissatisfaction, the angry workers burned hundreds of tankers and locomotives in a fire, forcing them to ask the Wall Street Bank for an emergency loan. As a result, not only did the shareholders of Pennsylvania Railroad Company not get any dividends, but the stock price plummeted. As a result of their duel with me, their pockets were getting cleaner.
Mr. Potts is indeed a soldier. In the smoke of life and death, he has spelt out the rank of colonel. He has an admirable and unyielding willpower. Therefore, even after the victor emerged, he still wanted to continue fighting with me. But Mr. Scott, who also has a military career, and was the most authoritative ruling and powerful figure, knows more about the current affairs. He decisively lowered his arrogance and sent someone to tell me that he hoped to make peace and stop the oil refining business. -
However, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, which had tricked yet still made compromises with me, was ambitious. They tried to replace me and put the oil refining industry under their control. They merged the two largest oil pipelines in the oil area into their own railway network to get our necks stuck. And the person responsible for accomplishing this mission is Mr. Potts, president of Empire Transportation Company, a subsidiary of Pennsylvania Railroad Company.
Sitting and watching the opponent, even if the strength of the potential opponent increases, it will weaken one's own strength and even subvert one's position. I am not that stupid. My belief is to reach the goal before others. I quickly set up the U.S. Transportation Company with the shrewd and capable Mr. Odai and launched a self-defence counterattack with the Empire Transportation Company. Thank God, our efforts paid off. Within a year, we controlled 40% of the oil transportation business in the oil region and suppressed Mr. Potts' attack. But this is just the beginning of my contest with Mr. Potts.
The people who can get ahead in this world are those who know how to find their ideal environment. If they cannot do it, they will create it themselves.
Two years later, a new oil field was discovered in Bradford, Pennsylvania. Mr. Odai quickly led his people to the place that aroused the dream of millions of people to make a fortune and paved the oil pipeline to the new oil well day and night. But all the guys in the oil field were crazy and unrestrained. They could not wait to collect all the oil overnight, and then left with joy on their faces. Therefore, no matter how hard Mr. Odai and others worked, they cannot meet the needs of transportation and storage of oil.
I do not want to see the hard-working oil producers dig their own graves and destroy themselves. I asked Mr. Odai to warn oil producers that their extraction capacity had far exceeded our transportation capacity. They must reduce production, otherwise the black gold that comes out will become worthless black soil. But no one accepted our kindness and advice, and no one appreciated our efforts, and instead denounced us, saying that we did not want to procure their oil.
Just as when the oil producers in Bradford were at the peak of their emotions, Mr. Potts started taking action. He first led a series of demonstration at our oil refineries in New York, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh to acquire our competitor’s refineries; then, he began to seize the site in Bradford and laid oil pipelines to transport Bradford’s crude oil to his own refinery.
I admired Mr. Potts’ courage and I was more than willing to accept the challenge he sought to shake my dominance in the oil refining industry, but I must drive him out of the oil refining industry. -
Hell is full of good people
Arrogance usually leads to downfall.
I do not like money, what I like is making money.
My belief is to reach the goal before others.
(The people who get on in the world are the people who look for the circumstances they want, if they cannot find them, make them.)
August 11, 1918
Dear John:
Today, on my way to play golf, I encountered a challenge that I have not met in a long time: a young man arrogantly overtook my car in his fashionable Chevrolet. He provoked this old man’s competitive nature, and in the end, he could only look at the back of my car. This made me very happy, just like when I defeated my opponent in the business.
John, eagerness is my nature that never wears off, so I say that those who condemn my endless greed are wrong. In fact, I do not like money. What I like is making money. What I like is the good feeling of victory.
Of course, the feeling when others lose sometimes touches my compassion, but doing business is a harsh competition. There is nothing more ruthless than the determination to force others out, but you can only avoid the tragic fate of defeat by finding ways to defeat your opponent. This is the case when there is competition.
It is undeniable that if you want to succeed, you often must sacrifice others. However, if you pursue victory and hope to win, you must resist the idea of sympathizing with others. You cannot just want to be a good person, you can’t retain your strength, you can't evade or delay letting your opponent out. You know, hell is full of good people, and the pain of failure is part of the business war. We are all strangling our opponents. Without the determination to compete and fight to the end, we only have the qualifications to be losers.
Frankly speaking, I do not like competition, but I try to compete. Whenever I encounter a strong opponent, the competitiveness in my heart will burn, and when it extinguishes, what I gain is victory and happiness. Mr. Potts once brought me this kind of pleasure, and he was great.
The war with Mr. Potts was due to a mistake of mine, a mistake made out of kindness. In the 1870s, oil was concentrated in a small area in north-western Pennsylvania. If an oil pipeline network was built there to connect all the oil wells, I only needed one valve to control the entire oil region. Thus, completely dominating the industry. But I am worried that using pipelines for long-distance transportation will cause anxiety and fear to the railway companies that I work with. Therefore, in order to protect their interests, I did not launch any plans to lay oil pipelines, especially because they have helped me before. -
No force can stop me from lifting the ban on greed because I pursue success. Success achieved under greed is not a sin. Success is a noble pursuit. If you can achieve success with noble behaviour, you will contribute far more to mankind than what can be done in poverty. I did it!
Let us look at the philanthropies we have done today. Investing huge wealth in education, medicine, churches, and those in need is definitely not a place for me to do charity on a whim. It is a great charity, and the world is becoming more beautiful because of my success. It seems that greed is very good, and not a crime.
In this regard, if those who say I am greedy are not for the purpose of discrediting me, I will gladly accept the judgment they make of me.
John, I am the focus of my life, I decide what suits me, so I do not care what those people say, my heart is still peaceful. To some people, I always seem to be a businessman with despicable motives. Even if I invest in charities that benefit the people, It will be regarded as a trick by them. They suspect that the motivation of my charities is to pursue self-interest, or a form of atoning my sins, but they do not see it as a selfless spirit of public welfare. This is really funny.
I want to tell you very sincerely that your father will never make you feel ashamed. Every penny in my pocket is clean. The reason why I became rich is my superior mind and strong career. The heart is rewarded. I firmly believe that God has clear rewards and punishments, and that my money is given by God. And I can always make money. If God helps, this is because God knows that I will return the money to society for the benefit of my fellow citizens.
It is time for me to read the Bible. The night is so beautiful tonight, every bright star seems to say: “Good job! John.”
Love,
Your Father -
Those who love muckraking always regard greed as a demon. But in my opinion, opening the lock of our greed is not the same as opening the Pandora's Box, and releasing the beating greed all the time is equivalent to releasing the potential of our lives. From a bookkeeper with a weekly salary of only five dollars to the richest person in the United States today, it was greed which made me achieve this miracle. Greed is the force that drives me to create wealth, just as it is the force that drives social evolution.
When I use the word greed, you might want me to replace it with aspiration. No, we are all in a greedy world. I think using greed is simpler than using ambition. Simplicity is a quality of integrity and selflessness in the soul. It is different and more noble than sincerity.
At the beginning of co-founding the oil company with Mr. Sam Andrews, my greed was swelling. Every night before going to bed, I advised myself: I want to become the largest oil refiner in Cleveland, let the flowing oil creek turn into bundles of banknotes, I want to align every thought to profit motives and help myself become the king of oil. In the early days, I would do everything by myself and work all day long. I direct oil refining, organize railway transportation, and contemplate how to save costs and expand the petroleum by-product market. I will never forget the days that left me starving and rushing around day and night.
My son, destiny must be created by oneself, and what one really wants must be obtained by every means. The distance between success and failure is not just a single thought as what people may think, that is to see who has the stronger greed, who has this power, who can radiate and display all their power, do their best, and surpass themselves. Every step I move forward can make me feel the power of greed! Greed not only allows a person's abilities to be maximized, but also forces him to dedicate everything, remove all obstacles, and move forward at full speed.
Many people have asked me the same question: “Mr. Rockefeller, what supported you on your way to the top of wealth?” I cannot express my true feelings because greed is despised by people. However, the fact is that greed is the support that supported me to become a generation of millionaire, that is, I aroused my greed and deepened my greed.
There is a lively, sensitive, and powerful greed in everyone's heart. But you must love her, tell yourself that you want to be greedy, and you want more, then she will come out to play and help you succeed. -
There is no one who is not greedy. If you have an olive, you will want to have an entire olive tree. I have been living in the world for nearly 80 years. I have seen people who cannot eat steak, but I have never seen anyone who is not greedy, especially in the business world. There is only one word printed on the back of utilitarianism and money worship, that is greed. I believe that people who are not greedy in the future will still be rare on earth. Who will stop the pursuit and possession of beautiful things?
Mr. Archibald said that I am a racehorse that could smell the finish line, but as soon as that happened, I would start sprinting. I know this is a bit flattering, but in my heart, I really reserved a place for greed.
When I was in business school, one of my teachers said a phrase that I will never forget. It can be said to have changed my destiny. He said: “There is nothing wrong with being greedy. I think being greedy is a good thing. Everyone can be greedy. From the beginning of greed, there will be hope!”
When my teacher shouted this extremely provocative and irritating remark from the forum, the students in the audience were in an uproar. As long as you think about the meaning of “greedy”, you will know that this word completely violates the moral concept that most people have learned since childhood. This moral concept is integrated into religion, society, ethics, politics, and law. The role of a ruler will undoubtedly put a dirty mark on this word.
But when I stepped into the society and embarked on the journey of creating wealth, I deeply realized that the classes I took was really worth it. My teacher’s proposition was quite insightful. As those evolutionists told us, nature is not a benevolent and selfless place, but a place where the strong are kings and the fittest live, so is our so-called civilized society. If you are not greedy, you may just be “eaten” by others. After all, there are not many delicious desserts.
If you want to create wealth and achievements, and an extraordinary life, then I feel that you can forget about “greed is a good thing”, greed is necessary!
The subtext of greed is that, I want more, and monopolize it! Who has never made this cry in my heart? Politicians will say, I want to be in power, and I want to be the governor before being the president. Businesspeople will say, I want to make money, I want to make more money. Parents will say that I hope my son can achieve something and live a prosperous and happy life forever. And so on. Only when limited by morality, dignity, and face value, can people tightly cover up greed and make greed a taboo.
In fact, as long as the world that wants to chase fame and fortune is not destroyed, as long as happiness does not become as easy to get as air, human beings cannot stop being greedy. -
Greed is necessary
Let every thought be subjected to profitable motives.
I am the focus of my life; I decide what suits me.
Destiny must be created by oneself, and what you really want must be obtained by every means.
(Simplicity is an uptightness of soul that has no reference to self; it is different from sincerity, and it is a still higher virtue.)
May 6, 1918
Dear John:
Ignore those who say I am greedy.
For many years, I have been enjoying this “praise” that seems not so wonderful to others – Greed. This special tribute to me first appeared when my career was in full swing, when Rockefeller's name was no longer just a symbol of a person, but a symbol of wealth, and a huge business empire.
I remember that many people and many newspapers joined the ranks of “praising” me. But this kind of praise did not make my heart beat faster, even though I know that it is nothing more than to discredit me, and it is nothing more than to add a filthy lucre to the business empire I have created.
But I know that there is a kind of power hidden in human nature, one that grows in places lacking ability and will, that is jealousy. When you surpass them, they will hate you, accuse you using derogatory words, fabricate lies to slander you, and at the same time they will be very arrogant in front of you – in my opinion, that is not arrogance, it is just weakness. What's interesting is that when you are far inferior to them, and your life is unbearable, they will laugh at you again, for being incompetent, stupid, and even belittle you to the point that you have no human dignity. My son, this is human nature!
God did not give me a mission to change human nature, and I did not take the time to stop those people from wanting to “praise” me for being greedy. All I can do is to keep those who are jealous of me jealous! Although, I know that if I let them take away all the wealth that I have created, they will also take away their praise for me, but I can't! I believe that unless there is some magic, no one can!
A gentleman will never argue with the ignorant, and I certainly will not argue with those who “praised” my greed, but I cannot refrain from despising their ignorance. Looking back calmly at history and examining the footprints of mankind, we can conclude that no society is not built on greed. Those who want to slander me, seemingly as if they are moral watchmen, which one of them would not want to monopolize what they have? Who does not want to control all the good things? Who does not want to control everything that everyone needs? There are always many hypocritical people. -
Your future may be managing a business. You need to know that the purpose of running a business is to make money. Expanding an enterprise can make money but mortgaging a company is also an important matter with regards to managing and using money. If you only focus on one function and ignore the other, you will face failure; in the worst case, it may cause a financial collapse, and in a better case, you may miss many opportunities.
Managing and using money is different from the determination to make money and it requires different beliefs. To manage and use money, you must be willing to manage the numbers yourself, and not just simply talk about management and strategy. God is shown in the details. If you neglect these details, or detach from the details, and authorize this “miscellaneous task” to others to do, it is equivalent to neglecting at least half of your important business responsibility. The details should never hinder enthusiasm. To be successful you need to remember two things: one is tactics and the other is strategy.
Son, you are moving towards winning a great life. This has been your goal all the time. You need to be brave and do so continually.
Love,
Your Father -
Borrowing money is to create good luck. If I can borrow enough cash to mortgage a piece of land and allow myself to monopolize a larger area, then I will seize this opportunity without hesitation. When I was in Cleveland, I won the top position in the Cleveland oil refining industry for expansion. I owed many huge debts, and even mortgaged my business. In the end, I succeeded and created shocking achievements.
Son, life is a constant mortgage, we mortgage our youth for the future, and mortgage our lives for happiness. Because if you dare not approach the bottom line, you lose. Wouldn’t it be worthwhile to take the risk to attain success?
When it comes to mortgages, I want to tell you that when I received a huge sum of money from a banker, not only was my business mortgaged, but also my honesty. I regard contracts and contracts as sacred things. I strictly abide by the contracts and never default on debts. I never forget to treat investors, bankers, customers, including competitors with sincerity. When discussing issues with them, I always insist on telling the truth, never making things up or speaking ambiguously, as I firmly believe that lies will always eventually surface.
The rewards of being honest are enormous. Before I walked out of Cleveland, the bankers who knew my character had rescued me from numerous crises that were hard to escape from.
I clearly remember that one day, one of my oil refineries suddenly caught fire and I suffered heavy losses. Since the insurance company was unable to pay the insurance premium, and I needed a sum of money to rebuild the enterprise. I had to make additional loans to the bank. Now the thought of the bank loan that day made me excited. Originally, in the eyes of the bankers who lacked vision, the oil refining industry was already a high-risk industry. Providing funds to this industry was no less than gambling, plus my oil refinery was just destroyed, so some bank directors were hesitant on the additional loan and did not approve them.
At this moment, one kind soul, Mr. Stillman, asked a staff member to bring his own safe and waved at several other directors: “Listen to me, gentlemen, Mr. Rockefeller and his partners are very well accomplished people. If they want to lend more money, I urge you to lend them without hesitation. If you want to be more assured, take however much you need.” I subdued the bankers with my honesty.
Son, honesty is a method and a strategy. Because I paid with my own honesty, I have won the trust of bankers and more people, and because of it I survived numerous difficult times, and embarked on an expressway to success.
Today, I no longer need to turn to any bank. I am my own bank, but I will always be grateful to the bankers who have helped me so much. -
Mortgage for the Future
Borrowing money is to create good luck.
Whether it is to win wealth or to win in life, what good people think when facing competition is not what I will lose, but what I should do to be a winner.
(We are continually faced by greater opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems)
April 18, 1899
Dear John:
I can understand why using my money to go to the stock market makes you feel a little uneasy. Because you want to win, but you are afraid to lose in that adventurous world, and the lost money is not yours; it is borrowed, and you still have to pay interest.
This kind of unbearable feeling seemed to have been ruling me since the beginning of my entrepreneurship, and even after becoming more accomplished, so every time before borrowing, I will ponder between prudence and adventure, as I struggle, even failing to fall asleep whilst lying on my bed and thinking of ways to repay the debts.
It is often said that people who take risks often fail. But why doesn’t this apply to idiots? After my fear of failure, I still managed to always get up and decide to borrow money again. In fact, in order to improve I have no other ways to go, but to borrow from the bank.
Son, what is presented to us is often a great opportunity to solve tricky problems ingeniously. Borrowing money is not a bad thing, it won’t make you bankrupt, as long as you don’t treat it like a life buoy when you only use it in times of crisis, but instead treat it as a powerful tool, you can use it to create opportunities. Otherwise, you will fall into the quagmire of fear and failure, where fear will restrain you from attaining great achievements, and no success will be achieved in the end.
Among the wealthy people I know or acquainted, there are very few people who rely on accumulating small bits of wealth day by day to eventually become who they are now. More people make money by borrowing money. The reason is not esoteric. Buying and selling a dollar profit each is far less profitable than buying and selling a hundred dollars.
Whether it is to win wealth or to win in life, what good people think about in competition is not what they will lose, but what they should do to become a winner. -
Dealing with bastards will make you smart. Those evil "teachers" taught me a lot. If anyone wants to deceive me now, I guess it will be more difficult than crossing the Grand Canyon, because those demons helped me establish a set of rules for dealing with people, I think this set of rules will help you:
I only show my feelings when the situation is only beneficial to myself; I can let my opponent teach me, but I will never teach my opponent, no matter how much I know about it; think twice about everything, no matter how others may urge, do not act without making a full consideration; I have my own truth, only responsible for myself; be careful of those who ask me to treat them sincerely, they want to reap benefits from me.
I know that deception is only a strategy in a profit-making game and cannot solve the problem. But I also know that games for profit are played day and night, so I must be vigilant from morning to night and understand: in this game, everyone is the enemy, because everyone takes care of their own interests first, whether or not it is good for others. The important thing is knowing how to protect yourself and prepare for war anytime, anywhere.
Son, what destiny gives us is not the wine of disappointment, but the cup of opportunity, cheer up! What happened on Wall Street is nothing special, it is just that you believe in others too much. However, you need to know that a good horse will not fall twice in the same place.
Love,
Your Father -
The most painful deceit I experienced occurred in Cleveland. At that time, the oil refining industry was almost unprofitable due to overproduction, and many oil refiners had fallen into bankruptcy. Also, Cleveland is far away from the oil field, which means that compared with those refineries in the oil field, we had to pay a premium for the long-distance transportation which put ourselves in an unfair position. I am determined to change it. I want to acquire a large-scale refinery that is struggling on the death line, forming a joint force and a unified action, so that everyone’s wallet will bulge.
I told those refinery owners who were on the verge of bankruptcy that “we are at a disadvantage in Cleveland and what we must do to protect ourselves together. I think my plan is very good, please think about it. If you are interested, we will be happy to discuss with you.” Because of my kind wishes and strategic considerations, I bought many worthless factories. They are just like old rubbish, only worth throwing into the scrap iron pile.
But some people are so evil, selfish, and ungrateful. After they got my money, they became enemies, unscrupulously tore up their agreement with me, made a comeback, bought equipment with money earned with my help, returned to their old business, and publicly blackmailed me, asking me to buy their factory. These people have asked me to be honest and buy their paralyzed factory. I did it. However, the results were distressing. At that moment, my mood was terrible, and I even blamed myself for being honest and kind, otherwise I would not be embarrassed and helpless.
What is the most unacceptable is that in profit-making games, today’s friends will become tomorrow’s enemies. This situation often happens, and my two church members have deceived me many times without restraining. For the sake of God, I do not want to count their sins. But I can tell you, I was shocked when I knew that I had been deceived by them. I do not understand why people who pray with me and swear religiously will want to abandon their pride, indulgence and greed, how can they be so despicable!
After all kinds of deceptions and lies, I told myself helplessly: You can only believe in yourself, and only in this way, you will not be deceived. I know this kind of slightly hostile mentality is not good, but there are too many deceptions in this world, and guarding ourselves is an indispensable survival skill. -
Loyal to oneself
I can deceive the enemy, but I will never deceive myself.
People who ask me to treat them with sincerity want to reap benefits from me.
What fate gives us is not the wine of disappointment, but the cup of opportunity.
(Our destiny offers not the cup of despair, but the chalice of opportunity.)
November 29, 1899
Dear John:
Are you in a better mood? If not, I think, you need to know something.
You need to know that in this world, the vast majority of people are not immune to a special force that can easily peel off the cloak that wraps our humanity, and expose us completely to the sun and justly delineates us on the pure and dirty plates, so that all our defenses become pale and weak. No matter how clever we are, it is the test of our humanity: interest/benefits.
In other words, interest is the shadow that illuminates human nature. In front of it, all the essences related to morality and ethics will be revealed and unobstructed. Maybe you think my words are a little absolute, but this is what my experience tells me.
I am not a human historian. I don’t know what explanation they will give to explain the nobility and ugliness of people, but my life course makes me firmly believe that interests seem to be invincible, and It can bring people, races, and countries who could have lived peacefully with one another together, and make people deceive each other. In those scams, traps of defamation, slander, and vilification, as well as cruel and merciless bloody battles and robber-style plunder, you will find the shadows that are chasing interests. In this sense, it is more accurate to say that we are slaves of interest rather than masters of our own souls.
I can assert that in this world, apart from God, there is no one who does not pursue profit. From the moment you step into interpersonal relationships, a protracted life game for profit begins. In this game, everyone is your enemy, including yourself. You need to fight against your weaknesses and against all the evils that build happiness on your pain. Therefore, when I saw through all this, I always adhered to a principle: I can deceive the enemy, but I never deceive myself. Fighting back at the enemy who is shooting me will never disturb my conscience.
Son, please don’t get me wrong, I don’t intend to paint our world with an oppressive and suffocating grey; in fact, I long for friendship, sincerity, kindness and all the beautiful emotions that can nourish my soul, and I believe in them. It must exist. However, it is a pity that in the market of chasing fame and fortune, it is difficult for me to get this kind of satisfaction, and I often encounter betrayal and deception. To this day, I can still clearly remember the experiences of being deceived several times, which is unforgettable. - Laat meer zien
