As the debate over work-life balance intensifies in India, particularly following remarks from industry tycoon Narayana Murthy, a thought-provoking message from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has resurfaced online, sparking fresh discussions about success, effort and individuality in business and life.

In his final annual shareholder letter in 2021, Bezos delivered a powerful reminder about the importance of maintaining distinctiveness, drawing from a passage in Richard Dawkins’ The Blind Watchmaker. Bezos uses the concept of biological evolution to illustrate his point: just as living organisms must actively resist merging into their environment in order to survive, so must businesses and individuals resist the pull toward conformity in order to remain unique and impactful.

“The world will always try to make Amazon more typical – to bring us into equilibrium with our environment. It will take continuous effort, but we can and must be better than that,” Bezos said in the letter. 

One social media user shared Bezos’ letter, saying: “This is Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’s final annual shareholder letter, where he emphasizes the importance of maintaining distinctiveness in both business and life. Drawing from a passage in Richard Dawkins’ The Blind Watchmaker, Bezos uses biology as a metaphor: just as living organisms must actively resist merging into their environment to survive, businesses and individuals must resist the world’s pull toward conformity to remain unique and impactful.”

“Bezos warns that while distinctiveness is valuable, it requires constant effort and energy to sustain. He critiques the oversimplified notion that “being yourself” is easy, emphasizing instead that it comes with challenges and ongoing work. He extends this idea to Amazon, stressing that the company must continuously resist becoming typical and maintain its originality to thrive. Ultimately, he encourages individuals and organizations to embrace the cost of distinctiveness, as the effort is both necessary and worthwhile,” the user added. 

In contrast to Murthy’s view, Bezos’ 2021 letter offers a strikingly different philosophy. While Murthy’s emphasis is on working harder, longer, and without concern for work-life balance, Bezos suggests that achieving success and maintaining a distinctive edge requires a different type of effort—one that involves resisting conformity and embracing individuality, even when it’s difficult.

Narayana Murthy’s work-life balance controversy

At the same time, the discussion surrounding work-life balance has been reignited, especially in light of remarks made by Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy. Murthy, known for his strong stance on the need for hard work, recently doubled down on his rejection of the conventional five-day workweek. When asked about his thoughts on work-life balance during the CNBC Global Leadership Summit, Murthy stated emphatically, “I don’t believe in work-life balance.”

Murthy then referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tireless work ethic, suggesting that since Modi “works 100 hours a week,” the country’s workforce could demonstrate their appreciation by committing to a similar level of dedication.

In contrast to Murthy’s view, Bezos’ 2021 letter offers a strikingly different philosophy. While Murthy’s emphasis is on working harder, longer, and without concern for work-life balance, Bezos suggests that achieving success and maintaining a distinctive edge requires a different type of effort—one that involves resisting conformity and embracing individuality, even when it’s difficult.