Some risk their lives in pursuit of creating something new and different. The great value innovator Jesus took risks and was crucified. In our times, Nelson Mandela took risks and almost died for it. Alfred Nobel took risks and passed away in solitude. Van Gogh took risks, was ridiculed and committed suicide. For every Bill Gates and Micheal Dell, or any other well-known, risk-prone explorer, there are thousands and thousands of others who tried and failed. They lost their families, friends, fortunes, dignity and sometimes, ultimately their lives. Our thoughts should go out to all those forgotten heroes who tried and failed. We should hail them, because the innermost mechanism of human progress is called failure. If it were not for all the fools trying to do the impossible – over and over again – we should still be living in caves.
Traditionalists should remember that the only way not to fail is not to try. And we must. No failures; no development. Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein even argued that, ‘if people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever happen.’
Respect is therefore due to all who take risks.
Jonas Ridderstråle & Kjell Nordstrom
Funky Business Forever, How to enjoy capitalism (page 184-185)
