Create more than you consume

[pinkytoe]

I read Jeff Bezos' final letter to shareholders as CEO and he uses the phrase "create more than you consume" several times. What does that mean to you?

[bae]

"Leave the place better than you found it."

[catherine]

Make things rather than take things

[razz]

Give of your uniqueness rather than take of others' efforts.

[Rogar]

Take only photographs, leave only footprints?

It would be interesting to hear Bezos philosophy on consumption, but I think in context he's saying to give more than you take.

[Yppej]

To me it means Bezos sees himself as part of a superior creative class and looks down on people who do uncreative grunt work even though the fact that they do this work frees up his time so he can be creative.

[LDAHL]

Create more than you consume and accumulate the difference.

[Gardnr]

I'm stepping down so you can shop less now

[pinkytoe]

I googled the phrase and it is used frequently by those promoting superior human achievement. Excel by not consuming your hours with routine, non-creative actions and thoughts. Innovate and create value through your actions. Blah.

[ApatheticNoMore]

outside of the context of Bezos, a lot of creativity/art consumes stuff as well (well think if it creates physical things anyway).

inside the context of Bezos: it means all the goods will be made in China but won't say where they are made (a question asked of every single product seems to be "where is it made"? but notice despite this interest Amazon never just provides this information), they'll consume way more resources than necessary in the name of 2 day shipping (when really did you need that for most things? how is this not the very definition of excessive consumption?), you'll build your commercial business of leveraging lack of sales taxes and government non-enforcement, and workers will be consumed and ground down in the process, and there is still no union.