We need better role models.
Back in the day, we had good role models. Often times these were family members or close friends with whom we had frequent personal interactions.
If they weren't personal acquaintances, our old school role models still made some impact on us. Sometimes, our previous role models were civil or religious humanitarians who'd done far-reaching good deeds. Sometimes, they were military folks who showed tremendous courage in the face of bad circumstances.
Regardless, we had good role models.
Now, most people who admit to having a role model will name a wealthy celebrity -- emphasis on the word wealthy. More than likely, a person will name an athlete or actor as a role model.
Or these days, it may simply be a billionaire who didn't do anything particularly role model-ish -- they just made an obscene amount of money thanks mostly to American capitalism.
It's this last category I don't understand. How is a CEO or hedge fund manager, for two examples, worthy of being modeled after? Because they have money?
(I'll admit to saying Warren Buffett is a role model of mine, but I'm talking about professionally, not personally. Let me add here that he's the most self-deprecating billionaire around by far, so if you had to name a billionaire role model, he'd be it.)
People have adopted billionaire as role models because they have social media platforms that didn't exist in the past to promote themselves, Without that, we wouldn't even know who most of them are, much less want to follow in their footsteps.
As role models, billionaire tech bros or investors are not worthy. Wealth creation is not a prerequisite for it, it's actually a reason why they should be disqualified from it, if there isn't anything else.
So perhaps I should re-phrase my opening....
We don't just need better role models. We need new ones.
