I’ve been lucky. My entire life has been filled really great teachers. People much wiser than I who have been kind enough to help point the way ahead. Confucius (孔子) said that:

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the most bitter.”

Perhaps my parents read me Analects of Confucius (论语) when I was an infant, as I’ve always worked hard to take the easiest of Confucius’ paths. If you’re going to imitate, best to emulate the best…

JIM JANNARD (简纳德): Entrepreneur. Founder Oakley and RED Digital Cinema.

JIM ROGERS (罗杰斯): Investor. Founder Quantum Fund and Rogers Commodity Index.

SIDNEY RITTENBERG (李敦白): Revolutionary. American. Founding member of People’s Republic of China.   Three very different, extremely amazing guys who’ve each taught me a lot…

And you thought I was just going to tell you?

OK ~ some day I’ll pass on some of these lessons… But just not quite yet.

Sidney Rittenberg 李敦白, Wang Yulin 王玉林 and Erwin (欧文) in Shanghai

Jim Rogers 吉姆．罗杰斯 and Erwin 欧文 on top of the Shanghai Ritz-Carlton

Yang Qianli 杨千里 and Erwin 欧文 at the Hyatt on the Bund, Shanghai

 Yang Qianli was director of the IEEE among other things