10. The Greek Fisherman and the Harvard Businessman

In Chapter five of her book ‘Gratitude in Education’, Howells presents a number of stories which expand on Barbara Fredrickson’s ‘broadening and building’ theory. Howells explains the importance of story-telling when teaching gratitude to students. One of my favourite stories is the story of the Greek Fisherman and the Harvard Businessman. It is an old tale that has been translated by many cultures with the business man often having different personas. The original author is unknown. I can remember how transformational the story was for me and I have retold it many times to my students. In my gratitude journey I am once again drawn to the tale.

The Greek fisherman and the Harvard businessman

A boat docked in a tiny Greek village. An American tourist complimented the Greek fisherman who was resting in his boat on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

“Not very long,” answered the Fisherman.

“Then, why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more?” asked the American.

The Fisherman explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.

The American asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”

“I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings I go into the village to see my friends, dance a little, drink a bit, and sing a few songs. I have a full life.” Said the Fisherman

The American interrupted, “I am a businessman and have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you. You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch and with the revenue, you can buy a bigger boat.

“What do I do then” asked the Fisherman?

“With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middleman, you can negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant” answered the Businessman.

“What do I do then” asked the Fisherman?

“You can then leave this little village and move to Athens, London or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge enterprise.”

“How long would that take?” asked the Fisherman.

“Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years,” replied the Businessman.

“And then what happens then?” asked the Fisherman

“That’s when it gets really interesting,” answered the Businessman, laughing. “When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!”

“Millions? Really? And after that?” asked the Fisherman

“After that you’ll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your grandchildren, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife, and spend your evenings singing, dancing, playing and drinking with your friends…”

“Which is exactly what I do already” replied the Fisherman (source unknown)

Fredrickson claims that "positive emotions open the mind, broaden people and make them happier. "(Fredrickson, 2011) The Greek Fisherman certainly displayed a contentment with his life which was acknowledged when he said "I have a full life.’" I wonder about the quality of life of the Harvard Businessman who seemed to be looking forward to retirement.

How many of our children are currently being educated to be the ‘Harvard Business Man’? He certainly seems to be like the ‘big I’ identified by David Brooks when discussing his book ‘The Road to Character’. David promotes changing the current education paradigm from a system that focuses on the teaching of content, so that students can meet certain prescribed standards, to a system that values the development of character. He indicates gratitude as ‘little practice (that can result in) big effects’ (Howells, 2012) in the development of character.

Brooks, D. (2015, July 16). The Road to Character. Retrieved from ABC Radio National: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/bigideas/road-to-character-david- brooks/6619062

Fredrickson, B. (2011, June 21). Positive Emotions Open Our Mind. Retrieved from You Tube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7dFDHzV36g

Howells, K. (2012). Gratitude in Education. Rotterdam: Sense.