Surf Dude And Life Lessons That Go With It

My good friend and fellow Estanciero David Galland recently published Surf Dude. Like everything David writes, it's a riveting story. As with much good writing, there's a lot more here than an entertaining narrative.

The story is of a group of airliner crash survivors on a small island, struggling for survival. Two examples of extreme antisocial behavior emerge. What follows is the rest of the fascinating story.

This book brings to light the value of respect for others and their opinions and beliefs. And of course, the folly of prejudice and a closed mind.

If someone has different ideas than you have, what of it? If you both are open to discussing your differences, it can make an interesting conversation. If either of you doesn't want to do that, it's better left alone.

"Convince a man against his will, He's of the same opinion still."

- Dale Carnegie

Suppose they believe differently from you in some area, say religion or politics. They aren't harming you with their different views. They could, of course, become a nuisance if they insist on proselytizing. You may, or may not, choose to include them in your circle of friends. I have several friends who are of opinions quite different from mine.

Naturally, if they believe in stealing, or harming other people, you want nothing to do with them. You may even need to take action to protect yourself and your assets from them.

The libertarian (notice that's with a small "l" - it's not a political party) view is:

• Live and let live.
• I'll respect you and your opinions as long as you respect me and mine.
• I'll treat you fairly as long as you treat me fairly.

Solid sustainable businesses add wealth to the economy. They flourish by producing something of value to their customers. When a customer buys from them:

• The customer sees more value in the product or service than the price he/she pays for it.
• The company sees more value in the money paid to them than the product or service they delivered.

This is a win-win transaction. It's how wealth is built in a healthy economy. People who do business this way are usually open to all comers without prejudice. It's just the way they think. Rarely are they prejudiced in anything. David discusses the concept of trading at will in some of the interactions among the survivor group.

So... with this discussion, I've drifted a bit from the original topic, that of David's book. If you look carefully at my flow of ruminations, you may (I hope) find a thread of related ideas.

Perhaps it will encourage you to pick up David's book and let it stimulate your thinking. It's a pretty quick read, and I think you'll find it entertaining. (You might not if you believe in physical and psychological domination and/or religious fanaticism. These two, domination and forcing religious beliefs on others are really two forms of the same thing.)