Chapter 1: Do Nothing—the Story of Mr Opaque and his denial to change
Ulysses read the news this morning: Opaque (one of his clients) went crazy, and he never returned.
Opaque was a man of routine. He woke up at the same time every morning, ate the same breakfast, and took the same route to his office at Stability Co. He was content with the predictability of his life, and any deviation from his usual pattern made him uneasy.
Stability Co. was a business that thrived on stability and consistency. However, as time passed, new regulations were put in place, and the company was required to embrace change and adapt to new technologies and methods. But Opaque was reluctant to do so.
He didn’t see the point in changing something already working well. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” he would say. He believed his way of doing things was the best, and he saw no reason to change it.
Opaque’s company fell behind as the world around him continued to evolve. Customers started to look elsewhere for more modern and innovative solutions, and the company’s profits began to suffer.
But Opaque remained stubborn, insisting on staying the course. He refused to acknowledge the changing times and continued running his business as always. His employees grew frustrated and restless, but he refused to listen to their ideas.
In the end, Opaque’s refusal to adapt proved to be his downfall. Stability Co. went bankrupt, forcing him to close its doors for good. As he looked back on his life, Opaque realised too late that his insistence on stability had led to his downfall. Sometimes, change is necessary for survival, and those who refuse to adapt will inevitably be left behind.
Opaque is a fictional character and persona created based on inspirations from James Joyce, Homer and Heraclitus.
More stories of Ulysses in the next Blog article.