Who I Would Be

Simon asked me recently who I would be if I could be anyone in the world. And that’s a hard question for me to answer. Just because, given my life verse and stuff like that, the person I would want to be like most is likely someone most people have never heard of. Someone who quietly makes a difference, not someone who’s well known.

If it were someone well known though, I wouldn’t want to be like a Christian singer or something. I dunno, I’d much much rather want to be known for being a good man, whatever that means, than for being a Christian. In Survivor terms, I’d much rather want to be Rodger, whom everyone recognized to be a good guy, than Joanna, who got in people’s faces (and on their nerves) by being “Christian.”

So anyway, my answer to him was John Bogle. He was like, who? Business people know who he is. He was a pioneer of index funds. But anyway, I admire him a lot. He’s made a solid difference in his field based on his principles and values. And for that, he’s well respected by everyone. He doesn’t flaunt his faith, but it clearly influences him and comes out in subtle ways. That’s pretty much who I want to be. Apply my Christian values to my field, make a difference in doing that, be known as good, and personally influence people towards Jesus.

Anyway, he recently gave a great speech about recent economic events and pretty much indicts the modern U.S. capitalist system. He makes some interesting points. That in right capitalism, self-interest demands virtue. And that the failure of the modern system is that owners capitalism has been replaced by managers’ capitalism. It’s very interesting, worth a read. John will like it because he starts with the gospel of Matthew. Dave will like it because he ends with Tocqueville.

Anyway, my investment principles are pretty much completely influenced by Bogle. Heck, even my fantasy football strategies are based on his ideas. Maybe my NCAA Tournament picks… we’ll see.