Thankful
2-min read
This is not the first holiday season shrouded in tragedy. When Americans sat down to a peaceful Thanksgiving dinner in 1940, my mother went to sleep in a London Tube station while the Luftwaffe terrorized her city. I’m thankful for those who came before us, finding their way through plagues, wars, and starvation on an unimaginable scale.
I am thankful for the 1.3 million men and women who serve in uniform today and the 55 million essential workers who put on PPE for another shift at the hospital or ensure we have food.
Science is moving us forward. Three almost-ready vaccines appear to be effective. The second announced, from Moderna, is the most promising, because of its stability. It can be stored in a standard refrigerator for up to 30 days, and left at room temperature for 12 hours. It’s easier to distribute than milk.
Most/all have people who love us. That’s meaningful. What is profound, however, is having people in your life who know you love them … immensely. My Thanksgiving wish is that you be blessed with people who know you love them immensely.
My dad is 90. His home health aid’s roommate tested positive, so he’s stuck in his facility. My sons ignore or roll their eyes at most everything I say — a healthy reaction. The rest of my family tolerate my book, my pods, my ambition and ego. They remind me how important it is to be in the moment, and I’m usually not. But they all know I love them immensely and, this Thanksgiving, that’s enough. Freddie Mercury (Queen), who died today in 1991, said, “The most important thing is to live a fabulous life. As long as it’s fabulous, I don’t care how long it is.” This Thanksgiving is more complicated and less fabulous. But I hope/trust that you are with people — or that you aren’t with people — who know you love them immensely.
Life is so rich,
P.S. I’ve spent most of this year doing my best to look at the horizon and picture the world as it will emerge post corona. What forces will shape business and society, and what can we do to shape those forces? Big tech will cast an even bigger shadow, extending into health care, higher education, and beyond. Deepening inequality will erode the stability of our dynamic capitalist system — how can we reground that system in a healthy society of shared sacrifice and cooperative effort? My thoughts on these questions are in a book, Post Corona, out today. I hope you’ll check it out.
yes agree
thank you for the reminder! great read
It appears that your unbounded enthusiasm for the post Corona future comes from you extensive participation and success in a system that is exclusionary for most of the population of the US and the world. Money has a power far beyond laws and politics and is, and has always been since its invention, the rod wielded by the few to control the many. Contrary to your opinion, Capitalism is an unequal playing field on which those possessing the money to corrupt political and legal safeguards do so, most times with impunity, to their benefit and at the expense of the working class who are the true producers. Corporations are nothing more than 21st Century plantations where politicians are the overseers whose job it is to keep the workers distracted, in economic fear and always producing a profit for the owners. The US Congress, regardless of their party affiliation, does the bidding of corporations and the wealthy by drafting and passing legislation that is purposely poorly written, laced with loopholes and riders that only corporations, the wealthy and politicians can use to their advantage or to avoid the laws and regulation by which ordinary workers are forced to abide. Profits for these unnatural entities and their owners supersede both the needs and the desires of the people. Until the concept of a corporate entity with rights and powers that vastly exceed those of natural human beings is outlawed and all existing corporate entities are dismantled, things like universal medical care and a quality standardized educational system will never exist. The current educational system has been priced out of reach for the majority of the population, especially non whites, and is constantly in a state of flux with new, untested crackpot teaching methods that perpetuate purposely under educating the masses to the benefit of the elites. Capitalism is just formalized criminal activity in a business suit.
WILLIAM: I LIKED YOUR ARTICLE AND AGREE WITH MOST OF WHAT YOU SAID, BUT THERE IS STILL NO SYSTEM THAT WORKS BETTER THAN CAPITALISM.. IF WE WANT TO IMPROVE THE SYSTEM ONLY TWO THINGS NEED TO HAPPEN IN THE US. 1. TERM LIMITS FOR CONGRESS ELECTED INDIVIDUALS 2. A BALANCE BUDGET WITH A COUPLE EXCEPTIONS, ONE SUCH AS WE ARE EXPERIENCING AND WAR TIME. IF YOU WANT HEALTHCARE FOR EVERYBODY WHICH I THINK IS JUSTIFIED WE CAN EASILY ACCOMPLISH THAT THRU WORKFORCE INCENTIVES FOR WELLNESS.. THE ONLY PLACE THAT CAN MAKE HEALTHCARE WORK IN THE WORKPLACE..
Spot on, William. Capitalism = corruption from the top to the plantation. My last two jobs have been in production at corporations. That’s factory work, for you middle class innocents. It’s deeply anti-humanistic being a breathing cog.
You really believe the CEOs from COVID vaccine producers to tell you the truth about the effectiveness of their profitable drug. Remember the CEOs from the cigarette companies telling Congress under oath that nicotine was not addictive. I want to see the actual research given to CDC before I believe we have a cure.
Can’t wait to check out the book! Wishing you and your family a happy Thanksgiving.
Saw you on CNN just now.We live in India and whole life has been upended by the pandemic ,as I stopped going out 8 months ago.Confined indoor throughout and without any social contacts and get together with friends, life has become an unchanging routine day in and day out.Fortunalely we folks are together and manage to tough it out.I intend buying your book and get an understanding of what the future portents for us.Thanks.
I just saw you on CNN. I will be buying your book. I understand what you speak. I am a 73 year old woman and am hopeful that the changes you hope for happen. I will pass your name on to some of my like minded friends.
Three years ago, the night before Thanksgiving, my son was paralyzed in a car accident. Yesterday we laid to rest a good friend. It would seem that giving thanks would come hard considering our experience at this season but we are still immensely thankful. This fall my son completed a sprint triathlon, is now learning adaptive driving and has been accepted into a clinical trial that shows promise. Our friend left us as better people and we cherish what time we had with him. Life is an experience of overcoming and moving forward. I love your line “life is so rich”. It truly is. Live it and love it. Happy Thanksgiving Scott to you and your family.
Looking forward to read your new book. Thought provoking as always..
Ordered the book last week! Thankful for all your insights and most of all your humanity.
Happy Thanksgiving to you Scott. I read your blogs with interest, concern and amusement. (I am a professor at Maryland having been the Dean of the Smith School of Business, 2007-2013 and Imperial College Business School, 2013-2016) The reason I thought I will comment is because I disagree with you pitching Moderna’s vaccine over that of Oxford/Astra Zeneca – the latter will charge $2.50/person while Moderna wants to charge $25/dose even after receiving hundreds of millions in US govt support. (Both vaccines can be stored and transported more easily than the Pfizer one.) I thought you had a social conscience?!
Hic et Nunc. That’s enough also for me. Thank you, Mr. Galloway, and happy Thanksgiving.
Great (,) Scott! Thanks for your always-stimulating and insightful work and thankful greetings to you from China.
Happy Thanksgiving! And thank you for all you do to agitate, irritate, stimulate and debate the important areas of required change in big tech to create a fairer, more balanced and inclusive society. Cheers, Nick
Happy Thanksgiving to the entire Prof G Team. Appreciate all you do. ✌️ Aaron
Thank you for being you and the advice, insight and humor you offer in your writings and podcasts. Love listening to you and especially to you and Kara. It feels like having friends out there I don’t even know but whom I’ve come to depend on during this unusual time in our lives. Happy Thanksgiving.
You’re books and advice are like an old girlfriend I want to forget. Then you come out with a book like this and I run right back into your intellectual arms. I am doomed to this hamsterwheel of love
Scott, Looking to buy this book, do you know if a kindle version will be available soon? Thanks, Venky
Dear Scott, big tech makes it so convenient for us. Was able to immediately download the audiobook on audible. Be safe. Cheers from Germany YJ
Thank you Scott. I ordered the book on Amazon a while ago in France but still waiting for the bail ability date…
Thank you, Scott, I just downloaded the audiobook. I appreciate your work!
I’m thankful for all the things you mentioned and for YOU. Your insights and humor are the bright spot in the dumpster fire we call 2020.
Hi professor, I downloaded the audible version. Any chance we can find the pdf versions of the charts you mention online somewhere? They are not included in Audible.
Your thoughts and comments are interesting and insightful. My son is also a tenured professor at NYU. Keep up the thoughts and stay healthy. Have as good a Thanksgiving as possible. Be safe. Mike Becker
Thank you. You’ve been a really positive influence.
Just placed my order – Christmas present to myself! Love your work Scott, wishing you what you wish for yourself this Christmas + 5%! anything else would be just a tad greedy 👍
Profound love of family, friends, and my fellow good Americans
Scott keep peering into things like no other… and stay humble as you share your story and grounded with how you navigate a lifetime of transitions. Trust creates followers and your impact is built upon that with me.
You’re a swell fellow. I listen to your pod and am always struck my your humanity and business insight. I’m an art(sculpture) college prof, tenured and you’re making me rethink higher ed. Not sure what the answers are but my focus this semester has been resilience and empathy thanks to you and a few others.
As I am living overseas I would like to know if the ‘POST CORONA’ book is also available as e-book or audible file. This would be a fantastic present for my huge patchworkfamily for the upcoming holidays. Thank your for all the inspiration!
Looking forward to the new book Scott. I’ve already added it to my Amazon wishlist for Christmas reading. Wishing you and your family a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving from Canada.
The book is now on my Kindle and I’ll spend time reading it over the holiday. Thankful for that and for your always thought provoking weekly commentary. Happy Thanksgiving!
You are a stud Scott Galloway. Your podcasts & blogs have been one of my great pleasures during this pandemic. You deserve all the success you have achieved and your story has been very inspiring to me. My favorite thing is the end of the Prof G show where you give your thoughts on being a better person. Your genuine, kind at heart, honest, funny and I am a big fan. Have a wonderful thanksgiving and I will be definitely reading your book.
Prof G! Have you landed yourself some retailers over the pond? I’d be a lot more thankful this season if I could get your book locally 🙂
There’s even a UK version! It drops Thursday, available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/144/1444073/post-corona/9781787634800.html
As fate would have it Amazon JUST delivered your new book as this email hit my inbox. Blessings to you and yours this holiday season Scott. Can’t wait to see you on Vice soon