Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven: Greed is Necessary

Motto: Let every thought be subordinate to the motive of profit. I am the center of my life and I decide what is right for me. Destiny must be created by oneself, and what one really wants must be obtained by all 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'm greedy. For many years, I have been enjoying this "celebration" that seems not so wonderful to others-greed.This special tribute to me first appeared when my career was in full swing, when the Rockefeller name was no longer just a symbol representing a person, but a symbol of wealth, a symbol of a huge business empire.

I remember that many people and many newspapers joined in the "praise" of me.But such praise did not make my heart beat faster, even though I knew that such praise was nothing more than discrediting me and putting a nasty stink on the business empire I created. But I know that there is a kind of power hidden in human nature, a kind of power that grows in places lacking ability and will, and that is jealousy.When you surpass them, they will hate you, accuse you with derogatory words, and even make up lies to slander you, and at the same time, they will be very arrogant in front of you——in my opinion Come on, that's not arrogance, it's just weakness.What's interesting is that when you are far inferior to them and live in poverty, they will laugh at you again, laugh at your incompetence and stupidity, and even degrade you without any human dignity.My son, such is the nature of man!

God didn't give me the mission to change human nature, and I didn't have the leisure to stop some people from "flattering" me for being greedy. All I can do is to make people who are jealous of me continue to be jealous!Although I know that if I could take away the wealth I have created from those who compliment me so much, they will take away the compliment too, but I can't!I believe that, unless under some kind of magic spell, no one can! A gentleman never argues with the ignorant, and I certainly do not argue with those who "flatter" my greed, but I cannot restrain my contempt for their ignorance.Calmly looking back at history and examining the footprints of human beings, we can come to the conclusion that there is no society that is not built on greed.Those who want to slander me, the seemingly moral watchmen, who among them don't want to monopolize what they own?Who doesn't want to be in control of all the good stuff?Who doesn't want to control everything everyone needs?There are always those who are hypocritical.

There is no one who is not greedy.If you have an olive, you want to own a whole olive tree.I have been walking in the world for nearly 80 years. I have met people who can’t eat steak, but I have never met a person who is not greedy. Especially in the business world, there is only one word printed behind utilitarianism and money worship, and that is greed.I believe that in the future people who are not greedy will still be a rarity on earth.Who will stop the pursuit and possession of beautiful things. Mr. Archibald said I was a racehorse who could smell the finish line and when I did that I would sprint.I know this is somewhat flattering to me, but in my heart, I have indeed reserved a place for greed.

When I was in business school, one of my teachers said a sentence that I will never forget, which can be said to have changed my destiny. He said: "There is nothing wrong with being greedy. I think greed is a good thing. People Everyone can be greedy. Start with greed, and there will be hope!" When my teacher yelled these extremely provocative and irritating words on the podium, the students in the audience were in an uproar.Because as long as you think about the meaning of "greedy", you will know that this word completely violates the moral concepts that most people have learned since childhood. This moral concept is integrated into various levels such as religion, society, ethics, politics and law. The role of a ruler will undoubtedly give this word a dirty brand.

But when I entered the society and embarked on the journey of creating wealth, I deeply realized that the tuition was really worth it, and my teacher's proposition was quite insightful.As those evolutionists tell us, the natural world is not a benevolent, selfless place, but a place where the strongest prevail and the fittest survive, and so is our so-called civilized society.If you are not greedy, maybe you will be greedy by others. After all, there are not many delicious desserts. If you want to create wealth and achievements, and create an extraordinary life, my feeling is not that "greed is a good thing", but that greed is necessary!

The subtext of greed is that I want it, and I want more, so it's better to be exclusive!Who has never made this cry from the bottom of my heart?The politicians will say, I want to be in power, I want the governor to be the president.Businessmen will say, I want to make money, and I want to make more money.Parents will say, I want my son to be successful and live a life of abundance and happiness forever.And so on, and so on.It is only because of morality, dignity, and consideration of face that people tightly cover up greed and make greed a taboo concept. In fact, as long as the world of chasing fame and fortune is not destroyed, as long as happiness does not become as easy as air, human beings will not be able to stop being greedy.

Those who love to pick up dung always regard greed as a devil.But in my opinion, unlocking the lock of our greed is different from opening Pandora's box, releasing the beating greed all the time is equivalent to releasing the potential of our life.I went from a bookkeeper with a weekly salary of five dollars to the richest person in the United States today. It was greed that made me realize this miracle.Greed is the driving force that drives me to create wealth, just as it is the driving force that drives the evolution of society. When I use the word greed, you might wish me to replace it with ambition.No, we're all in a greedy world, and I think it's simpler to use greed than ambition.Simplicity is a quality of integrity and selflessness in the soul, which is different from sincerity, and is nobler than sincerity.

At the beginning of co-founding the oil company with Mr. Sam Andrews, my greed was inflated. Every night before going to bed, I was advising myself: I want to become the largest oil refiner in Colliforland, let the flowing oil stream Turned into bundles of banknotes, I want to make every thought subordinate to the motive of profit and help me become the king of oil.In those early days, I had to do everything myself, and I was busy all day long.I directed oil refineries, organized rail transport, and thought hard about how to save costs and how to expand the market for petroleum by-products.I will never forget the days when I was starving and traveling day and night.

My son, you have to create your own destiny, and you must try your best to get what you really want.The distance between success and failure is not just a thought as people imagine, it is to see who has strong greed, who has this power, who can rejuvenate and display all their power, do their best, surpass Own.Every step I take makes me feel the power of greed!Greed not only allows a person to maximize his abilities, but also forces him to sacrifice everything, overcome all obstacles, and move forward at full speed. Many functions have asked me the same question: "Mr. Rockefeller, what supported you to go to the summit of wealth?" I can't express my true feelings because people despise greed.However, the fact is that the support that supports me to become a generation of rich people is that I aroused my greed and inflated my greed even more.

There is a lively, sensitive and powerful greed hidden deep in everyone's heart.But you have to love her, tell yourself I want to be greedy, tell myself I want, I want more, then she will come out to play and help you succeed. There is no force that can stop me from unlocking greed, because I pursue success.Success achieved through greed is not a sin. Success is a noble pursuit. If you can achieve success with noble behavior, you will contribute far more to mankind than you can do when you are poor. I did it! Take a look at the charitable deeds we are doing today. The huge wealth invested in education, medicine, churches and those who are poor is not my personal charity on a whim. It is a great charity. The world is because of my success And become beautiful.It seems that greed is good, not a sin. For that matter, if those who say I'm greedy aren't trying to discredit me, I'll gladly accept their judgment of me as such. John, I am the center of my life, I decide what is right for me, so I don't care what those people say, my heart is still at peace.To some people, I always seem to be a businessman with mean motives. Even if I invest in charities that benefit the people, they will be regarded as a ruse, suspect that I have motives for self-interest, and do not see me at all. The selfless spirit of public welfare, and even why I am so generous to atone for my sins, is really ridiculous. I want to tell you very sincerely that your father will never let you be ashamed, every penny in my pocket is clean, I am rich because of my superior mind and strong cause The heart is rewarded.I firmly believe that God rewards and punishes, and my money is God-given.And the reason why I have been able to continue to make money, if God helps, is because God knows that I will return the money to society and benefit my fellow citizens. It's time for me to read the Bible.It's a beautiful night tonight, every bright star seems to say, "Well done, John." love your father