This is a poor analogy and and an analogy that isn't needed (what exactly have you simplified for the reader here -- the concept of self-determination?). Not sure why you think that every person is basically a temporarily embarrassed CEO of a minuscule company and then to grandstand on that as if anyone who doesn't subscribe hasn't hit the same threshold of maturity.
I think it's a great analogy. It's a shift in mindset, don't take it literally, the point isn't that you're a temporarily embarrassed CEO.. the point is that for example when you interview for a position, don't think about it in terms of getting a job, but in terms of a business transaction (ie you also interview the company) or, when you're constantly in crunch mode, ask yourself whether or not your 'company' is being taken for a ride under an unfair contract.
You trade time, health, mental energy for money and health insurance (and/or reputation or whatever you get from your job). That's pretty much it. We (well, most of us) live in free countries, so if the business transaction does not benefit you, you're free to take your 'business' elsewhere.
> every person is basically a temporarily embarrassed CEO
That wasn't the point. The point is that businesses are people, so people are businesses. And while regular businesses can be run by a separate CEO, the business of your own person can only be run by yourself, so you got to learn to think like a real CEO to run the business of your person, even though this business will never have more than one member.
And the counterpoint being made here is that: you can tell yourself that, but it's not true.
Why? Because bussinesses aren't people, rather businesses are made up of people. People aren't businesses, people do business.
You can tell yourself "you got to learn to think like a real CEO to run the business of your person" and "make good decisions" or else "you will fail".
Or you can tell yourself "I am my own man (CEO), I can decide what my goals are, and what's considered success/failure. And I have decided that I don't actually want nor have to work so hard". The day you can do that, is the day you hold a huge component to being happy.
Not sure why it helps to think like a CEO to understand that concept.
Adages like: You can't have your bun and your penny. Or 'you can't have your cake and eat it' describe such a situation.
Whats happening here reminds me of an old git/hacker news joke: "Git gets easier once you understand branches are homeomorphic endofunctors mapping submanifolds of a Hilbert space"
Think like a CEO and making where you apply for work and delegate your time descicions even easier!
Want more money -- just think like a sequoia investor!
This is a poor analogy and and an analogy that isn't needed (what exactly have you simplified for the reader here -- the concept of self-determination?). Not sure why you think that every person is basically a temporarily embarrassed CEO of a minuscule company and then to grandstand on that as if anyone who doesn't subscribe hasn't hit the same threshold of maturity.