Earlier this evening whilst studying for an exam I have this coming week, I came across the following passage which I thought worth sharing. I may not agree with the 2nd to last line (you will see), but I do agree with the principles as a whole. I hope others may enjoy it as I have.

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ENTREPRENEUR'S CREDO

I do not choose to be a common man.
It is my right to be uncommon - if I can.
I seek opportunity - not security.
I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the state to look after me.
I want to take the calculated risk;
to dream and to build,
to fail and to succeed.
I refuse to barter incentive for a dole;
I prefer the challenges of life to be the guaranteed existence;
the thrill of fulfilment to the stale calm of Utopia.
I will not trade freedom for beneficence
not my dignity for a handout.
I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat.
It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid; to think
and act for myself, to enjoy the benefit of my creations and
to face the world boldly and say:
This, with God's help, I have done.
All this is what it means to be an Entrepreneur.

- American Entrepreneurs' Association

I, like you, can appreciate the sentiments portrayed here. What makes me wonder, however, isn't the insinuation of the second to last line; it's the deep contradiction it holds to the rest of the paragraph.

Either the author has no clear conception of "God" (bearing in mind he proclaims to love what "God" despises) or, alternatively, he appreciates the blatant difference he is drawing between his natural predisposition and "God".

Imaginative irony or, more likely, abject stupidity; I wonder which it is?

Have you ever read The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, by Max Weber? The "God" part of the creed made perfect sense to me as a bit of Presbyterian theology.

I would suggest it may actually be a deliberate attempt at 'disarming' the self-empowerment message throughout the rest of the passage. Without the reference to 'God', the passage is powerful and would possibly be to the distaste of religiously motivated individuals who would dismiss it as selfish and materialistic.

Could this therefore be a touch of intelligent marketing, delivering a strong message whilst ensuring safe delivery? What are your thoughts on this?

No, but it does look like an interesting read. I have read some mixed reviews, but will likely have a look in the future.

I'm sorry, Chris, but I must agree with Citizen Reprobate in this instance.

As a man of your calibre will undoubtedly realise, there are many forms and interpretations of 'God'.

The Judaeo-Christian God would indeed despise some of these qualities, as would the Islamic God, among others. However, this is the exception and not the rule. There are many interpretations of a God that wouldn't view these principles with contempt.

I wouldn't for starters!

HS!

My point was just that this creed is an entirely consistent expression of the Protestant work ethic; there's nothing particularly novel about it, and the "God" line fits the tone of the whole thing, when you consider it as the Protestant God.

Hello, Matt.

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I'm sorry, Chris, but I must agree with Citizen Reprobate in this instance.

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Fair enough. But, allow me to explain myself with a little more clarity.

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As a man of your calibre will undoubtedly realise, there are many forms and interpretations of 'God'.

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Yes, but we are dealing with what appears to be the classical idea of "God". If we were looking at our perceptions of "God", for example, there would be some insinuation of self-empowerment. In the absence of such an allusion, the next logical step would be to use the classical definition.

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The Judaeo-Christian God would indeed despise some of these qualities, as would the Islamic God, among others. However, this is the exception and not the rule. There are many interpretations of a God that wouldn't view these principles with contempt.

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Again, that would only be correct if we were dealing with interpretations of A God, as oppose to "the" God. My comment above should explain why I view it this way.

Citizen Reprobate, hello to you also.

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My point was just that this creed is an entirely consistent expression of the Protestant work ethic; there's nothing particularly novel about it, and the "God" line fits the tone of the whole thing, when you consider it as the Protestant God.

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I rarely, if ever, differentiate between religions. Ultimately, religious denominations are a poorly disguised way of taking the good parts of an idea and removing the bad, therefore, removing any responsibility. Personally, I prefer to use the representations of God as a supposed entity and primary source, as oppose to looking at it as a religious perspective. That way, you can avoid the individual bent a religious group may put on it.