"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently."
Henry Ford
Love him
or hate him- Henry Ford is one of the most intriguing people that ever lived. His life is yet another proof that life writes the
best stories. He was born in 1863
in Dearborn, Detroit in a farmer
family. His passion for machinery soon developed and he moved to Michigan to study at the University of Michigan.
His family was very supportive. He met his wife when he was 21 and they soon
had their first and the only child- Edsel. When he was in his 30s he started
working on his own, resistant car. Later he won car races multiple times which
made him famous and helped attract investors. He fixed himself a goal to
provide ordinary American people with cheap, sustainable car and he stuck to
it. He considered himself a self-made man, he disdained the wealthy elite and
investors whom he liked comparing to parasites. He praised virtues of hard
work, responsibility, he condemned alcohol and cigarettes. He used to rise on
dawn and exercise every day. His dream came true when he and his team
elaborated the T model which turned out to be a huge success, changing forever the
way we move. The car was not a luxurious object, reserved for the rich any more.
Afterwards, he burst productivity by establishing the first assembly line that revolutionized
industry and allowed Ford and his employees to provide cheap goods. Subsequently
he introduced the 5 $ per day wages in order to increase demand among ordinary
people like his workers. However, he had some very tough periods during his
life i. e. when the investors wanted to take over his company, when his was
ridiculed during a libel trial when he showed his ignorance. Ford treated his
son with disdain, he humiliated him on every occasion. When Edsel suffered from
ulcers, his father criticized him for drinking and socializing with the wealthy
Detroit elite. Edsel
collapsed one day and died because he suffered from a terminal stomach cancer. He
didn’t want to show his weakness to his father. Ford was shattered, he strolled
alone at night in his big, XIX century mansion. I’ve chosen Henry Ford because he had such an
extraordinary life, bitter-sweet combination of events. He was a fighter,
perfectionist, he had never doubted in his capacities and ideas. He was aware
of the impact of media so he created carefully and consciously his image. Ordinary
people loved him and they instinctively knew that he was one of them. There are
many facts that I haven’t mentioned so I recommend watching this documentary on
Ford’s life. It features original footages, historian’s opinions and inspiring
quotes.
Some useful vocabulary:
social engineering
amend his
ways
exert control
swoop down on
Sb
virtuous
producer
be part of
the social elite
self
discipline was critical to his success
endeavor- to strive to achieve or reach; to try; to attempt., (v. i.) To exert one's self; to work for a certain end
injunction-A
court order by which an individual is required to perform, or is restrained
from performing, a particular act
strip down
to essentials
rumors swirl
grow
frantic- raving, furious
relieve
overcrowding
over the
course of x months
take the
stand
to disprove
the allegations
be under
oath
the trial
concluded
receive the
pass
ideal of a
self made man
gush- explosion, run up rapidly
every-man
image
the
manipulator of the media
reverence
destitute
company
funds
backers
not paying
dividends
retain the
minority control
stockholder
grandiosity
No comments:
Post a Comment