I Found a 1940s Newspaper and It Scared Me About “Doing Things Right”

R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness · Jan 4, 2026 · 9m

I found old newspapers in a recycling bin while moving offices. They were from the 1940s.

One article was about Bethlehem Steel. At that moment, it was the future. It made a huge share of the steel that built North America and it helped power the war effort. The plant was massive. The company was “doing everything right.” Efficient. Disciplined. Serious. Business pages love that story.

And yet it died.

That is the part that still messes with my head.

Because it means “doing things right” is not the same as staying alive. It means the world can change under your feet while you are busy…