When I played football many years ago we lifted weights to gain strength, but there were limits. You could become too muscle bound. A muscle bound football player lost his ability to move. He was limited by his own bulk. His power restricted his flexibility and agility. Yet, the body builder types still spent hours in the weight room trying to get stronger, bigger, and more toned—still failing time and time again on the ball field. They didn’t see that their quest for more and more strength and power prevented their success.
There is a body builder mentality in society. Corporations drive to get larger and wealthier. Then one day, they realize that their size stifles the innovation and creativity they once enjoyed. They begin to lose to competition because they lost their flexibility. Individuals pursue wealth, but there is never enough. Soon their wealth begins to choke those individual freedoms they once thought only wealth could bring.
Institutions, governments, and most importantly individuals are well to learn the lesson of the muscle bound football player. The drive to lift a little bit more weight is much like the drive to be a little bit bigger, wealthier, and more powerful. Without balance and limits that drive can take you right out of the game.
What a great analogy. My favorite letter so far. Thanks for putting this perspective in such a clear manner. Jeff