The Man

The corporate world is designed to make you fail.

I believe that the more people know and learn, no matter what their area of interest, the better off the world is.

I wonder how many great ideas, inventions or breakthroughs have been ruined when someone is sitting at work and just barely gets an inkling of something great and then someone interrupts and slams a folder down, drops off a memo, rings the phone, or sends an email?

It's impossible to retrieve these ideas once lost since they were just being uncovered by the archaeologist of the mind when a dust storm arrives to bury it forever.

But I think a bigger tragedy occurs when the idea never sees the light of day, suppressed by the fear that the idea will be stolen by management and even if the idea is implemented there never is a reward equal to the contribution.

A corporation is designed to be run by very few men. These men want to run their own little empire and keep their thumbs on the serfs. And because of this, ideas and free flowing thoughts are discouraged unless they fit in the already outlined plan.

Corporate culture believes that everything takes a certain amount of time to happen. A person must have so much experience in this department, or must have been doing such and such for so many years before they can "move up". Which is totally contradictory to the way people learn.

Some people learn quicker than others, so for some a few months in a certain area is enough for them to learn the skills. While others might take years. But the fear that someone will "take" your job persists and keeps humanity from moving farther and faster than it could.

I believe that the internet is a precursor to a better society. The internet gives the everyday man the ability to make his voice heard, to change things, and to bypass the controlling grip of the few at the top who are happy with their empires. I believe that we could be headed toward a custom society where the individual can be master of his own life and use their natural skills to better humanity.

It's amazing what people can do when they can think and pursue ideas that would have been shot down by a corporate middle manager. For example Burt Rutan chief designer of Scaled Composites, he wanted to make planes and even space ships that had no bearing on traditional ideas of what and how these should perform and look. By going it alone without the corporate umbrella he has broken records, invented dozens of new plane designs, and has the credit of putting the first non-governmental supported man into orbit.

As long as the corporate culture exists in its current form, the failure rate for humanity's greatness will continue at its high level.