Great minds have purposes,
others have wishes.
—Washington Irving}
Go Against the Tide
T
he world is rich with examples of originality. Original means
independent and creative in thought and action. Nowadays
we call it thinking outside the box, although the term supposedly
derives from a puzzle created by an early-twentieth-century British
mathematician. Whatever you call it, it very often means going
against the tide, which may not be the easiest way to go. But
sometimes the easiest way is also the mediocre way, and that’s
okay if that’s your standard. But it isn’t mine, and it most likely
isn’t yours either if you’re taking the time to read this book.
When I was starting out in real estate, my father thought I was
nuts to want to build in Manhattan. I was going against the tide, and
I knew I was up against some pretty big odds, but I wanted to carve
my own niche. I had my own ideas and knew I’d have to be inde-
pendent as well as creative to see them happen. I’m certainly happy
I decided to take the chance and to go for it. It would have been
easier for me to just stay with the family business and leave it at that.
Fortunately, I had a good education and experience behind
me. I always warn people not to jump into anything unprepared.