There's a myth out there that you have to genuflect at the altar

Hear the words of Tom Perez, spoken with the force of both reason and passion: “There’s a myth out there that you have to genuflect at the altar of quarterly earnings. But it’s a false choice that you can either be a good fiduciary or promote values such as environmental sustainability.” In this statement he strikes at the heart of modern illusion, tearing away the veil that blinds men to the deeper truth: that wealth and wisdom, profit and principle, are not enemies but allies, when guided by vision and courage.

The image of the altar of quarterly earnings is no accident. Perez paints the marketplace as a temple where too many kneel, offering sacrifice not to gods of justice or prosperity, but to the fleeting numbers of short-term gain. The ancients would have called this idolatry—worshiping what is temporary and forgetting what is eternal. To bend the knee only to quarterly profit is to forsake the future, to trade the enduring for the perishable. It is as if a farmer were to eat his seed corn in the hunger of today, and then weep when the fields lie barren tomorrow.

Yet Perez declares that this is a false choice. The myth tells us that to be a fiduciary—to be a faithful steward of wealth and responsibility—one must abandon higher values such as environmental sustainability. But this is a lie whispered by fear and greed. True stewardship is not about the next three months, but about the next thirty years, the next three generations. What is the worth of profit, if the air is poisoned and the seas rise against the shore? What value has wealth, if the very foundation upon which it stands is crumbling?

History teaches us the folly of short-sightedness. In the ancient Mesopotamian city of Ur, forests were stripped bare for trade and building, until the land itself turned to desert and the city’s strength withered. In our own time, we saw the fall of corporations like Enron, who pursued quick wealth by deceit, forgetting that trust and truth are the bedrock of commerce. Yet there are also brighter tales: companies that embraced long-term vision, investing in clean energy, fair labor, and sustainable growth, and in so doing, not only endured but flourished. These are the ones who prove Perez’s wisdom true—that prosperity and principle may walk hand in hand.

Consider the example of Patagonia, the company that placed the earth above endless profit. By pledging a portion of their gains to environmental protection and by creating durable, sustainable goods, they did not collapse under the weight of their values; instead, they grew stronger. Customers trusted them, workers took pride in them, and their legacy was secured. This is not charity at the expense of duty—it is duty expanded into its highest form. It shows us that being a good fiduciary means guarding not only the ledger, but also the land, the water, and the air that sustain all life.

The lesson, then, is both clear and challenging: reject the false idols of the present quarter, and embrace the wisdom of the ages. To be a steward of wealth is also to be a steward of the world. Leaders, investors, and workers alike must see beyond the short horizon, daring to align profit with purpose. In this lies not weakness but enduring strength. For what is truly valuable must last, and what endures must be rooted in balance with nature and justice.

To each of us, this teaching calls for action. In your work, in your purchases, in your investments, ask not only, “What is gained today?” but also, “What will endure tomorrow?” Support those who build responsibly, who honor both prosperity and planet. Hold leaders accountable when they bow at the altar of the moment, and uplift those who dare to plant seeds for the future.

Thus, in the words of Tom Perez, we are reminded: the false choice is a trap, but truth sets us free. One may be both faithful in duty and bold in values. One may protect both the purse and the planet. And in this union lies the path of wisdom, the path of honor, the path that secures not only quarterly profit, but the flourishing of generations yet unborn. Choose not the altar of the fleeting, but the foundation of the eternal.