I read this quotation, alleged to be from the French philosopher and mathematician, years ago. I doubt he was the first to say it, have not read any writings from him which contained the phrase, and cannot prove that he said anything like it ever. Still, it has become an important touchstone for our company.

We work in a world of heavy human traffic and abstract notions -- a figurative "twilight zone" of intangibility -- where almost nothing is fixed, concrete and permanent. Our clients and providers and colleagues and lenders are constantly in conversations about concepts and contracts and coverages; confirmations and commitments; deals and decision-making; ambitions and fears; trends and expectations; process and power and principles; pricepoints and percentages.

The brokers role is to help provide order, direction and predictability to one narrow area of commotion in the world of international trade without detracting from the motion that makes it vital. The virtue of dubiety in our world is that is keeps us from doing the easy but wrong thing or implementing the obvious but insufficient solution.

It is not enough to answer our clients' questions, we have to question their questions. It is not enough to answer our clients' questions, we have to teach them better questions to ask. It is not enough to answer our clients' questions, we have to question the answers we bring to them. It is not enough to answer our clients' questions, we have to continue to ask, "So what?" The important consequences of any piece of information, or any particular set of circumstances is usually to be found only in what happens next in the cycle. In the never-ending game of trade and trade finance, we subject all things to doubt, so that we are ready for the next play.