This week, it’s not a question. It’s a core idea I believe in.

You never create wealth by being employed. Ever. This is the same thing my grandfather taught me. He started from literally zero, working in a shop when he was 9 years old to deliver for his family (with no father) under the French mandate of Syria in the 1920s.

After working as a young boy (صبي شغل) in lots of shops with older men in the Old Damascus Souq of Alhamedyeeh (الحميدية), he opened his own small shop. This caught fire by kids playing with fireworks after couple of years.

Started from zero again. This time with a smaller shop. Over the years he moved a bigger shop that became most famous for everything from toothpaste, to paste, to brushes and everything in between. He did by himself. Doing it by himself. Losing and gaining with his own money. Total skin in the game. And total antifragility.

In Nassim Taleb’s universe, which is our universe, modern salaried life is essentially slavery.

In, Skin in the Game, Nassim uses the analogy of the Dog and the Wolf from Aesop’s fables:

(Image from draudreyt.com)

A gaunt Wolf was almost dead with hunger when he happened to meet a House-dog who was passing by. “Ah, Cousin,” said the Dog. “I knew how it would be; your irregular life will soon be the ruin of you. Why do you not work steadily as I do, and get your food regularly given to you?”

“I would have no objection,” said the Wolf, “if I could only get a place.”

“I will easily arrange that for you,” said the Dog; “come with me to my master and you shall share my work.”

So the Wolf and the Dog went towards the town together. On the way there the Wolf noticed that the hair on a certain part of the Dog’s neck was very much worn away, so he asked him how that had come about.

“Oh, it is nothing,” said the Dog. “That is only the place where the collar is put on at night to keep me chained up; it chafes a bit, but one soon gets used to it.”

“Is that all?” said the Wolf. “Then good-bye to you, Master Dog.”

Freedom should not be exchanged for comfort or financial gain.

I shall be a wolf. Never a dog. And that’s my next move.

Salam, peace.