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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 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 the guaranteed existence;
The thrill of fulfillment
To the stale calm of Utopia.

I will not trade freedom for beneficence
Nor 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.

Thomas Paine, 1776

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 18th, 2007 at 4:19 pm and is filed under Entrepreneur. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Entrepreneur’s Credo”

  1. Al Zapata Says:
    November 16th, 2007 at 6:28 am

    Hi,

    Although this work is certainly appropriate for the entrepreneur, it is not from Common Sense nor was it written by Thomas Paine. It was written by Dr. Dean Alfange, a Greek immigrant, who at one point ran for Governor of New York. He died in 1989. He titled the piece: MY CREED. I know this because a few years agao I spoke with his son Dean Alfange Jr. to get permission to print and market this work. Below I have include the work as he wrote it.

    Al Zapata

    MY CREED by Dean Alfange

    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 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 the guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of utopia. I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor 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, enjoy the benefit of my creations, and to face the world boldly and say, this I have done. All this is what it means to be an American.

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