Charlie Munger has two great quotes that I’ve been mulling over for several weeks: ‘It’s not greed that drives the world, but envy’. And ‘What good is envy? It’s the one sin you can’t have any fun at’. So, are we living in a world driven by humourless desire? Perhaps on Wall Street that is […]
We work long days at sea, and Sunday is no exception. 12-hour shifts are my current minimum each day, with occasional overtime required. We got a hurried order to leave port this morning, while I was halfway through doing an inventory of the medical locker in my cabin. Despite the warm sunshine, it was quite […]
Threat detection, empiricism, relativism, and authority. It’s been a busy old week! Since joining my ship on Wednesday I’ve had nine arrivals and departures, shifted berth twice, went alongside a ship in harbour for cargo, and pushed on to so many ships and towers offshore that I’ve lost count. And I’ve been training a new […]
Failure as a human being and as a leader. The curse of self-awareness. When I was young, I had a strange experience. One that would probably have had me on medication or sectioned in a therapeutic home if I’d lived in the US and told an adult. But one that was absolutely real to me, […]
What does it mean to believe in fate? Why bother with the ‘Christian Label’? We Merchant Sailors live a hungry freelance existence. Your dream job comes up three or four times a year, but you are already engaged elsewhere and unable to take it. The guy with his bag packed, ready to go, is the […]
I have had some recurring dreams in my life. I have viewed them with some wonder because they have stayed in my mind as clear as day for more than 2 decades now. The first dream I had along these lines, I have ever-since used as my firey ambition in life. It took place on […]