Selfless and self-serving jobs resemble wheat stalks and rivers

CorporateNature No 137

There are two types of jobs: selfless and self-serving. They have a lot in common with wheat and water in the metaphorical realm.

1. SELFLESS JOBS RESEMBLE SEEDS THAT SCATTER

Professions such as teaching and nursing benefit society: these vocations exist for the greater good of all people. People working in these positions spend their time and energy selflessly, often driven by the conviction that their noble efforts must help those around them. In financial slang, these people "leave money on the table" (for others to pick up), i.e. they create value that is not appropriated by themselves.

Such occupations resemble a wheat stalk that shatters and sheds its seeds on the ground. While this is not beneficial for the farmer who planted the wheat, it helps propagate future generations. 

2. SELF-SERVING JOBS ARE SEEDS THAT DO NOT SHATTER

Bankers work hard, just like nurses and teachers. However, they appropriate most of the results of their efforts for their own benefit. Ironically, they are people who work with money, yet they "don't leave money on the table" as they are better at extracting value for themselves. 

This profession resembles cereal plants that do not shatter and whose grains stay on the stalk after ripening. Although this is good for the farmer who planted the cereals as it allows harvesting the grain,  the natural process of propagating the seeds is put in jeopardy.

3. SELFLESS JOBS RESEMBLE RIVERS THAT DON'T REACH THE SEA

Another example from nature can illustrate this parallel: most rivers reach the sea and deliver their water to the ocean, give or take some evaporation and human consumption. Such rivers are like the “bankers” who keep resources to themselves.

On the other hand, a handful of rivers never reach the ocean, e.g. the Okavango in southern Africa. The Okavango irrigates a vast inland delta and subsumes itself into it. The Okavango disperses all its water into a vast and fertile wetland that creates habitats for myriads of animals and plants, just like teachers and the nurses give themselves away for the benefit of humankind.

Wheat stalk (image source: Wikipedia) 

The Sun and professors send out energy into the universe

By George ILIEV
CorporateNature Metaphor Series, No 92

The Sun loses 135 trillion tonnes of mass every year as it is converted into energy and radiated out into the universe. This is the product of the nuclear fusion equation: four hydrogen atoms are fused together into a helium atom and energy is released in the process.

In a similar way, professors or teachers send their energy into space when lecturing. At the basic physics level, this happens by generating sound waves with their voice. At the metaphorical level, this happens by making light bulbs go on inside student heads.

The Sun doesn't only lose energy and mass: large amounts of dust, comets and asteroids fall on it every year. Similarly, professors also benefit from student feedback during discussions and may get the occasional light bulb go on in their own head.

The Sun (Source: Wikipedia)