Do you identify as pirate? Do you not identify as pirate? Maybe? Is it something in between?
Some identify as expert, some as buyer, some as accidental pirate, some as hoarding pirate etc. But all variations circle around the same polarity. It is either a pirate or non-pirate. Shadow or non-shadow. But very few people ask the essential question. What is the other polarity? It is like saying, I am darkness or I am not darkness. But what is on the other side of the spectrum? What is light? Very few are able to name the light. Few can identify what the identity of the bright side could be. If we know that something is a problem, knowing that we don’t identify with the problem is a great first step. But to find a solution we must go further. We must be able to point to the other polarity and eventually, as the last step, we must transcend both polarities to find unity on a higher level.
What is the opposite of a pirate?
Or put in another way, if we don’t want to be pirates, what else could we be?
If we know that being a pirate has negative consequences, then what better identity could we choose from that would lead to positive consequences?
I have spent years searching for the right name for a better identity. I suggest that the polar opposite of a pirate is a patron.
Patron may not be the perfect word, but it it has a good ring to it. Listen to both names: Pirate and Patron, can you hear the similarity? Can you hear that both lie on the same achsis, even though they are distinct from each other, like polar opposites? Even more important than the formal match of both identities is the match in content.
Let me introduce you to the treasure patron manifesto:
Here is the definition of a patron:
Here is how Merriam-Webster defines a patron:
Can you see how a Patron is the polar opposite of a pirate? Can you see how a pirate is like a shadow of a patron?
Think about it:
Scarcity vs. Abundance
A pirate is based on scarcity. He does not have enough. He needs to take from others in order to make up for his lack of resources.
On the other hand, a patron is based in abundance. He has more than enough. He has so much that he can guard, protect, support and sponsor others that create.
Giving vs. Taking
If a pirate gives, he gives what he does not own and which was not offered to him.
On the other hand, if a patron gives, he acquires in fairness. He gives money (he buys) in exchange for goods and services offered.
Occupying vs. Owning
A pirate does not own or manage an establishment. He sabotages or occupies establishments.
On the other hand, a patron owns a treasure. He is able to multiply treasures.
How: How can you become a patron?
Many people stay trapped in a problem, because they think that analyzing the problem is the solution. But this is a mistake. While analyzing the problem is helpful, there is a point where we have to let go of the problem and when we must explore the solution space.
As Einstein once said: „We cannot solve a problem on the same level that created the problem.“
Here is what you can do.
Step 1: Explore the solution space
I suggest that having a vision of the solution space is an important first step to improve things. In other words, explore what it means to be a patron, rather than a pirate.
By learning about what a patron is we can open up our thinking for new opportunities.
Step 2: Understand that you have a choice.
It is important to understand that you have a choice to be who you want to be. You have a choice to be a pirate. But you also have a choice to be a patron. It is entirely up to you. Identifying with one or the other is not a fact of reality. It is a choice you can make consciously.
Please understand that this is not a matter of doing. Choosing an identity is more fundamental than doing something. It affects the essence of who we are. It affects the core of where we want to be in relation to other people, in relation to society, in relation to our destiny. It affects our core. So don’t underestimate the importance of choosing your identity.
Step 3: Double down on the new direction
Once you made a choice to be a pirate or a patron everything will change. Maybe it takes time until the result manifests in physical reality. Good things take time, right? But things WILL change. Once you made a choice to be a patron, your actions will inevitably change. Your relationships will change. Your outlook on life, work and everything will change. All this will inevitably change your path and your results.
I am not suggesting that being a patron is necessarily an easier path than being a pirate. But being a patron is definitely much more fulfilling an joyful than being a pirate.
I believe that being a pirate is like investing in something that charges negative interest rates. Collapse is inevitable. But being a patron is like investing in something that pays positive interest. It may take some time, but eventually the profits will compound and pay off handsomly.
What if you would be a patron, just for one week?
What do you feel when you imagine yourself as patron? Does it feel strange? Does it put you out of your comfort zone? Or can you relate to it? Can you even feel familiar with it? Can you envision the spaciousness and potential it entails?
Whatever your personal associations may be, I invite you to play with your identity. What do you really want to be? What identity is aligned with your highest values? What if you simply try out the patron identity? Just try it out like a jumper in a cloths shop. You don’t have to decide right away if you want to buy it or not. You can still give it back, if it does not suit you.
But I encourage you to try on the patron identity for a while before you make a decision. Try it out, just for a week. Its FREE! You have nothing to lose. And if you like it, just keep it.
If this is too serious for you, have some fun:
Sidekick – Treasure Patron Manifesto
A) Did you see the Treasure Patron Manifesto? – sounds interesting, what is it?
B) A treasure patron does not abuse creators and never sees himself as victim. – Great! I love it
C) He heals addictions and gives sustainable support – wow. I definitely want to be a treasure patron.
D) A treasure patron does not pirate standards – What? Sorry, I’d rather be a pirate.