"Pahoms" of Goldman Sachs

This famous investment banking firm was in the news for its "hardworking" employees (up to 100 hours/week).

In this context, it is instructive to recall Leo Tolstoy's story "How much land does a man need". This story, written & published in 1886, was regarded by James Joyce ("Ulysses") as "the greatest story that the literature of the world knows."

In brief, the story tells about Pahom, a small landholder, whose greed for more land is insatiable. In pursuit of this goal, he begins to acquire more & more land & becomes wealthy. But he is not satisfied & hears about a tribe called "Bashkirs" who sell land for a pittance. On meeting them, he is offered land at one thousand rubles per day. Pahom does not understand & is told that all land he encircles on foot from sunrise to sunset is his for one thousand rubles.

So he marks out his starting point at sunrise in the presence of the Bashkirs & starts briskly. As the day progresses, his greed also keeps pace & he goes beyond the point from which he can return comfortably before sunset. He starts running & in a desperate attempt, reaches the starting point & collapses stone dead. His servant digs a grave & buries Pahom, who after all, needed only six feet of land.

Of course, "hard working" people can hardly have time to read such stories, much less the wisdom to draw life (or death!) lessons from them.