Editor’s note: This piece is republished from the On Solid Ground blog at TOS’s sister organization, Objective Standard Institute.
Why do some people excel in life whereas others stagnate? Many factors are at play, but none is more powerful than free will.
We can choose to think or not to think, to exert mental effort or not to do so. That’s our fundamental choice. And choosing to think—along with choosing to act in accordance with our best judgment—are the fundamental ingredients in a successful, happy life.
Consider how this fundamental choice applies to work and the difference it makes. An allegory, told by Benjamin Hardy, illustrates the point beautifully:
A certain farmer had become old and ready to pass his farm down to one of his two sons. When he brought his sons together to speak about it, he told them: The farm will go to the younger son.
The older son was furious! “What are you talking about?!” he fumed.
The father sat patiently, thinking.
“Okay,” the father said: “I need you to do something for me. We need more stocks. Will you go to Cibi’s farm and see if he has any cows for sale?”
The older son shortly returned and reported, “Father, Cibi has 6 cows for sale.”
The father graciously thanked the older son for his work. He then turned to the younger son and said: “I need you to do something for me. We need more stocks. Will you go to Cibi’s farm and see if he has any cows for sale?”
The younger son did as he was asked. A short while later, he returned and reported: “Father, Cibi has 6 cows for sale. Each cow will cost 2,000 rupees. If we are thinking about buying more than 6 cows, Cibi said he would be willing to reduce the price 100 rupees. Cibi also said they are getting special jersey cows next week if we aren’t in a hurry, it may be good to wait. However, if we need the cows urgently, Cibi said he could deliver the cows tomorrow.”
The father graciously thanked the younger son for his work. He then turned to the older son and said, “That’s why your younger brother is getting the farm.”1
I love this allegory. . . .
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1. Benjamin Hardy, “One Behavior Separates The Successful From The Average,” LinkedIn, January 13, 2020, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/one-behavior-separates-successful-from-average-benjamin-hardy-phd/.
2. James Clear, 3-2-1 Newsletter, “Entrepreneurship, Habits, and the Joy of Climbing,” May 14, 2020, https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/may-14-2020.
3. Ayn Rand, For the New Intellectual (New York: Penguin, 1963), 127.
