You are insignificant
Like everyone on here, I crave recognition, prestige, and wealth - all things the financial industry adequately provides. However, while musing about the brevity of time we're on earth, I got thinking about what I will leave behind when it is all said and done. Generations from now, even my progeny will likely not remember my name. All I will likely leave behind will be dust, bones, and a trust fund.
The scions of our day may have respect, women, and fortune, but they will probably end up as footnotes in the history books. Will people speak of Cohen four generations from now ? Do you know who the wealthiest man in the 17 hundreds was ? Shall Paulson's name fade as Meriwether's shall?
How many presidents can you list off the top of your head? Can you name 5 British Prime Ministers?
The most powerful and influential men of our day will likely not be remembered, that is a scary thought. It may be unthinkable now, but imagine that 120 years from now that only intellectuals would know who Bush was.
Charles de Gaul said that the graves of the world are full of indispensable men, I think he was right on the money. In the long view of things, no matter how far we get in this industry, we're specs among the giants of history. Perhaps Buffett, J.P Morgan, Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Bill Gates are the exceptions, but beyond that our names will all die. Pick any decade in the 1800s, I will bet you won't be able to name the top trader in any single decade. They are as insignificant as the guy that served them coffee now.
Some part of me just feels like it is all for naught, we will all be forgotten except for a very very select few. I'm rambling here, and I do not have a point, so if you want to be a fucktard then flame me. I blame my mid-life crisis for my rambling, just wanted to get this off my chest.
I suppose this just validates the existentialist doctrine: we are all insignificant, so we might as well have a blast doing exactly what we love before we fade into nothingness. Kind of makes me feel sorry for the kids that say they want to sign up for the military just to break into banking, a job they probably know nothing about. Life is too short for that shit.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. - Dylan Thomas
P.S. highly suggest you read this poem, very moving:
work for yourself not for others
Dylan Thomas, good show.
I don't care to be remembered, except for by my (future) children and family. I just want to enjoy this earth while I'm on it, so I'll do what I have to/want to do to provide my family and live a comfortable lifestyle. Finance can hopefully provide that, and it helps that I have a couple decent skills that I think will help me on this career path. To me it isn't about being remembered in 300 years but rather what I can do to make the best of the next 60-70, while leaving some cushion for the kids.
Great quote
I just want to be filthy rich, and fuck the rest.
moneyoverbitches
Disregard females, acquire currency
"Perhaps Buffett, J.P Morgan, Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Bill Gates are the exceptions."
Are you kidding?
Ask someone to tell you two sentences on JP Morgan, Carnegie, or J. D. Rockefeller. They can't.
Financiers and rich people don't get remembered, only authors and artists do.
it is not the end but the journey that counts.
probably the best of us have a chance to go down in history, but that never stop the rest of us to try.
Finance will give you the opportunity to experience things that simply requires money... the rest are up to you.
There are probably days where i am working 14+ hour days drinking my third $15 dollar latte, but not as happy as the guy chilling at his backyard drinking $0.5 coffee.
There are also days i don't need to care and just buy 6 iphones for love ones, and they guy around the corner thinking to walk extra five block to a department store to save a buck on Barbie for their kids.
We all do what we must, and what we can.
Haha, if you actually loved them you wouldn't give them phones that leave them stuck with AT&T.
Regards
amen
We all are bro. Carl Sagan...preach.
In a couple hundred million years, no one is going to remember anyone when the sun explodes and wipes out the solar system. That is what makes us insignificant.
Silver banana for you pinkbanker
To paraphrase Napoleon:
"Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever"
If you want to be remembered for all of time don't be a banker. But as my Math professor once said, "I'd rather be wealthy then have my name remember for all of time. What am I going to do with fame when im dead?"
Mathematicians, physicists, writers, philosophers, etc are remembered. We'll read people like Cervantes for all of time, and no one will ever forget Newton or einstien.
[quote=pinkbanker]Like everyone on here, I crave recognition, prestige, and wealth - all things the financial industry adequately provides. However, while musing about the brevity of time we're on earth, I got thinking about what I will leave behind when it is all said and done. Generations from now, even my progeny will likely not remember my name. All I will likely leave behind will be dust, bones, and a trust fund.
The scions of our day may have respect, women, and fortune, but they will probably end up as footnotes in the history books. Will people speak of Cohen four generations from now ? Do you know who the wealthiest man in the 17 hundreds was ? Shall Paulson's name fade as Meriwether's shall?
How many presidents can you list off the top of your head? Can you name 5 British Prime Ministers?
The most powerful and influential men of our day will likely not be remembered, that is a scary thought. It may be unthinkable now, but imagine that 120 years from now that only intellectuals would know who Bush was.
Charles de Gaul said that the graves of the world are full of indispensable men, I think he was right on the money. In the long view of things, no matter how far we get in this industry, we're specs among the giants of history. Perhaps Buffett, J.P Morgan, Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Bill Gates are the exceptions, but beyond that our names will all die. Pick any decade in the 1800s, I will bet you won't be able to name the top trader in any single decade. They are as insignificant as the guy that served them coffee now.
Some part of me just feels like it is all for naught, we will all be forgotten except for a very very select few. I'm rambling here, and I do not have a point, so if you want to be a fucktard then flame me. I blame my mid-life crisis for my rambling, just wanted to get this off my chest.
I suppose this just validates the existentialist doctrine: we are all insignificant, so we might as well have a blast doing exactly what we love before we fade into nothingness. Kind of makes me feel sorry for the kids that say they want to sign up for the military just to break into banking, a job they probably know nothing about. Life is too short for that shit.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. - Dylan Thomas
P.S. highly suggest you read this poem, very moving:
http://www.bigeye.com/donotgo.htm[/quote]
Great post. I believe its a constant mental battle to reinforce oneself that we are all insignificant. A simple example would be whether or not to approach that girl at the cafe, club, subway, etc. How many guys will actually take action? I am willing to bet a large percentage will just let the opportunity pass them by. What hinders that person? Rejection? Embarrassment? These reasons are trivial at the opportunity of experiencing something great even though chances will be remote. No one will care whether you took action(not even the girl in question). Only you.
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