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The unreasonable man Making A Difference Everyday (MADE)

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” —George Bernard Shaw

Entrepreneurship is about possibility thinking or thinking outside of the prescribed formulas. An entrepreneur persists in trying to adapt the world to himself by producing finished goods from raw materials. The unreasonable man is a manufacturer of economic goods.

Between the reasonable man and the unreasonable manufacturer

The reasonable man is a consumer of environmental goods, while the unreasonable man is a manufacturer of economic goods.

The unreasonable man stays in industry, while the reasonable man stays indoors.

The reasonable man lives to change his own status. The unreasonable man lives to change the status quo.

The reasonable man takes no risks. The unreasonable man is a risk-taker.

The unreasonable man thinks outside of the prescribed formulas. The reasonable man thinks within the prescribed formulas.

The unreasonable man invents, the reasonable man follows events.

Some notable unreasonable men in the history of America:

Cornelius Vanderbilt (May 27, 1794 – 1877) Vanderbilt began in shipping operating steamboats and steamships which carried migrants to the west. In the 1850s, he began taking an interest in the new technology of railroads. In gained control of and developed some of the most significant railroads in America, such as the New York Central, Hudson River and West Shore Railroads. In 1869, he began building Grand Central Depot in New York. built and controlled many of the most significant railroads in America, such as the New York Railroad and the Grand Central Terminal.

Andrew Carnegie (1835 – 1919) Born in Scotland to poor parents, Carnegie moved to America where he became very wealthy through dominating the US steel industry. Carnegie literally helped build America during the Nineteenth Century Industrial Revolution through supplying steel and other raw materials to the building trade. After making a fortune in business, he retired and became a noted philanthropist.

John Pierpont “J. P.” Morgan (1837 – 1913) J.P. Morgan built a financial empire based on banking, and investment. He arranged the biggest mergers of his day. Morgan was a key player in the formation of great corporations such as General Electric 1892 and the US Steel Corporation. On his death, he left $68.3 million ($1.39 billion adjusted for inflation).

John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937) Rockefeller became one of the richest persons in the world through his dominance of the oil and railroad industries. His railroad companies became the dominant monopoly force, providing the backbone of American infrastructure. He also oversaw the boom in oil production, especially as demand for petrol grew.

Thomas Edison (1847–1931) American inventor who filed over 1,000 patents. He developed and innovated a wide range of products from the electric light bulb to the phonograph and motion picture camera. He was also a practical inventor who was able to implement his ideas on a mass scale. In 1880, he established the Edison Illuminating Company which built pioneering electrical generating stations, initially in New York. It was the first power station in US and one of first in the world, it marked the dawn of the new ‘electrical age’ which within a few decades would see electricity brought into people’s homes across America.

Henry Ford (1864–1947) Founder of Ford Motor Company. Ford pioneered the use of the assembly line for making cars, helping to reduce the price and make cars affordable for the average American consumer. The model T Ford car was critical in enabling mass car ownership after the First World War. Ford was also able to offer higher wages to workers, due to increased efficiency.

The unreasonable man is dissatisfied with the status quo. He believes possibilities are responsibilities. He is creative and positive. The unreasonable man thinks the impossible and does the unthinkable. He is courageous and bold.

The unreasonable man does incredible things and leaves indelible marks. He is energetic and entrepreneurial. He is a dreamer and a doer. He is unreasonably reasonable, vision-driven, and lives in the future.

The unreasonable man thinks of idea generation and the next generation. He is a pacesetter and trailblazer. The unreasonable man and woman make our world a better place.

The next time you think of the unreasonable man, think of manufacturers, inventors, researchers, engineers, pioneers, creatives, innovators…

Remember, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

You cannot be reasonable and make a difference. It is time to be unreasonably reasonable, so think of what you would do to make an impact in the world and become an exclamation mark and not a question mark.

Do not try to adapt yourself to the world, instead, persist in trying to adapt the world to yourself. You are the next wonder the world is waiting for, so refuse to be a mere consumer of environmental goods and strive to become a producer of economic goods. Yes, you can!

Niyi Kolade