Times they are a changin

There is great pride in remaining unchanged over time. To look the same despite age, to be able to do the same things despite a frailing body, to improve and contribute to a lifelong craft, to adapt your work to the changing times, and to be a beacon to the world and yourself as everything else changes.

Warrant Buffet has invested for over 70 years with the same “value investing” approach. As fads have come and gone and new paradigms emerged, he has stayed the same. He takes great pride in staying the same, making it a core part of his public persona. In turn, The financial world sees him as a reference point, an anchor in an ever-changing world.

Jerry Seinfeld has been writing observational humor for about 40 years. Using clever wordplay, he comments on the mundane and weird social norms and human behavior. He used to joke about dating more; now, he jokes about his wife and kids. But the structure remains the same. He has commented on his writing method and the process of refining jokes, and that has stayed the same. He is aging as well as anyone would want to and doing well as he goes about it.

There is also great pride in changing. Our bodies and minds change with time, and our activities and priorities change. People who played soccer later in life play golf; those who used to fight and compete in something can engage in other activities for their intrinsic rewards. New professions, hobbies, and places that did not make sense before can make sense now. It can be great to be multiple people in one life.

Unlike Buffet, Mike Bloomberg has had at least three very different jobs. Mike Bloomberg started his career at Salomon Brothers, where he spent about ten years before getting fired. With the money from the severance bonus, he seeded Bloomberg L.P., a company with tens of billions of revenue today. He became mayor of NYC in the early 2000s and did that job for a decade. He has been a Republican, an Independent, and a Democrat. He ran for president. And he is an active philanthropist.

Or compare Jim Carey to Seinfeld. Like Seinfield, he started as a standup comedian. Then, he moved to TV and quickly followed with comedic films. Afterward, he decided to spend some time in dramatic roles. At some point, he took time off and focused on painting and, to some degree, writing. After a long hiatus, he got back to making films. He has spoken publicly about his fascination, tension, and finally, indifference to fame and, indirectly, to his relationship with art.

This happens in all fields. Clinton and Bush Sr are the forever politicians; Carter and Bush Jr farm and paint, respectively. While the Beach Boys kept their sound constant, the Beatles tried all sorts of sounds and instruments. The list goes on.

Some people stand as a constant against time; some like to change with it. There is no right way to do it, but it is worth noticing which is suitable for you.