How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land?
The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness
of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?
- Chief Seattle, Nineteenth Century American Indian (Tribe: Suquamish)
This is the great paradox of our times. That is the essence of investing. You see - stocks are but pieces of business ownership material. I am interested in holding and increasing pieces of business that I like and admire. What I like and is available at a bargain price - I intend to buy and what is selling at a higher price than what it really is worth - I am willing to part with (maybe lets say I am learning this aspect of selling still; for you see I would like to hold onto something for as long.. I mean forever.. unless it screams in the eye that its a sell..)
No animal but man can lay claim to own things, places, and stuff like that.. Animals are known to defend themselves, their mates, children, pack, food and area where they inhabit. Animal territory is defended by scent and once the animals are gone.. come new ones (not exactly offspring's) to take their place..
Human beings are different. We purport to believe that individuals can 'own' the most astonishing things.. we can own land, whole islands, mines, mountains, forests and anything else we can name and lay our hands on.
We do believe we own ways to execute a mere 'idea' - the basis for patents and intellectual ownership. Even more astonishingly we pretend that names can own such things, what else to do we call a partnership, company of even a country but a name?
I get this concept, its mind blowing... Something inside struck a deep chord.. Thank God we have this 'ownership thingy', however cynical it really is.
Ciao till next time...Harsha
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