An Analogy
From my new book Techno-regionalization — list of chapters here
“I increasingly believe by virtue of supply-demand imbalances that companies will start to value things that historically they didn’t value” — Jeff Weiner, LinkedIn CEO
At their annual dinner the Duke, the media Baron, the Banker and the Priest once again met secretly to congratulate themselves for the control they held over their principality.
This year they’d convinced the farmers that the scientist was wrong and it was not going to rain for months, and, so traded all the gold they had for water.
Suddenly a knock on the door and so the Priest answered. It was a traveller in a hooded cloak pleading for water. The Priest sent him away and warned his he wouldn’t be welcome in this principality.
But the traveller went to some farmers and asked for water. The farmers quickly agreed they didn’t have enough to share.
Then a group of poor women came and offered water and a new home to the traveller. In return, the traveller gave the women some flint and taught them how to make fire and use it not only to cook and create warmth but also to make glass and turn metals into tools.
Suddenly the heavens opened and torrential rain began to fall and the ensuing flood was devastating which would only be compounded as the land entered a long period of drought.
The people seemed to suffer more than those who seemed to be in control. The farmers struggled without the gold to buy more water.
But the women now had fire and new skills. They traded with nearby lands and they soon became wealthy and envied. They hired the scientist who helped them find new materials, tools and medicines to make, which helped their whole community and eventually many people came from the country to enjoy this new prosperity that had made their lives longer, healthier and more enjoyable.
The Duke, the media Baron, the Banker and the Priest kept their gold and lost their influence. Once rich, powerful and respected, now they were irrelevant and despised having held on to power for too long. They were only supported by the stubborn farmers who one by one lost everything and still refused to ask for help from the women or the scientist.
The principality became very prosperous and bought their food from other principalities. When the drought ended the next generation of farmers moved into the vacated countryside and were wise enough to work to restore the land. In this way, a period of hardship proved to be an opportunity for everyone but those who refused to take opportunities for fear of losing what they had.
