The Fisherman

One day an elderly fisherman was lying on a beautiful beach, with his fishing pole propped up in the sand and his solitary line cast out into the sparkling blue surf. The warmth of the afternoon sun relaxing him, and he was almost falling asleep.

About that time, a young businessman came walking down the beach trying to relieve some of the stress of his workday. He noticed the fisherman and decided to have a little chat.

"Excuse me", said the businessman, "but aren't you a fisherman by trade?"

"Why yes, I am" replied the fisherman, seemingly woken up by the conversation.

"Well, you're not going to catch many fish that way. Why aren't you using a net?"

The fisherman looked up, smiled at the businessman and replied, "And why would I want a net?"

"Well, with a net, you can catch more fish and make more money, before you know it, you could afford to buy a boat!" was the businessman's answer.

"Yes, that is true. But then why would I want a boat?" asked the fisherman, still smiling.

The businessman replied, "Well, with a boat, you could catch even more fish and make even more money, then you can go buy an even bigger boat"

"Yes, that is true," said the fisherman, "But then why would I want a bigger boat?"

This was beginning to annoy the businessman. It seemed that this simple man couldn't grasp the concept. "With a bigger boat, you'll be able to make so much more money, pretty soon you 'll have a fleet of fishing boats!" he explained.

"Hmmmm... that is true", said the fisherman, "But then why would I want a fleet of fishing boats?"

By now the businessman was angry - this was exactly why he was stressed out at work - his boss had no foresight and he was having a hard time explaining things to him. "You don't get it, do you? With all that money and fishing boats, you will be so rich, that you can just sit back and relax while other people catch fish for you!".

The fisherman, now with an amused look on his face, looked up and said,  "And what do you think I'm doing right now?"

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