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What’s wrong with making rich people richer? Most of the time people get rich by doing exactly what you want to do: help others. The capitalist way of improvin
by tucaz 8y ago
What’s wrong with making rich people richer?
Most of the time people get rich by doing exactly what you want to do: help others. The capitalist way of improving life for everybody is to engage in voluntary transactions that benefits both parties involved in such transactions.
With that said, if you work for a company that produces, let’s say, TVs and help them make TVs more affordable and efficient you will help people that couldn’t have TVs before get access to it.
That’s how we got to the place we are now where most people in somewhat developed countries can afford a TV or a chicken sandwich without having to spend 6 months and thousands of dollars in the process of making it.
The good thing about freedom is that your own benefit is often dependent on benefiting others as well since alone we can achieve nothing.
If you are more interested in helping your community or bigger causes you can keep working for these same companies and save some money and use that money to help whatever cause you feel good about. Maybe even create a business in the future to increase the rate of what you can help others.
There are plenty of companies that are founded on the principle of turning a profit but also help the communities they belong to while doing it.
Making people rich don’t conflict with improving others people lives and helping your community.
You will be much more useful to society if you are doing good yourself. Otherwise you can’t help anyone. You have to help yourself first.
- undreren 8y ago> What’s wrong with making rich people richer? There's nothing wrong with it, I just don't feel like it's a worthwhile goal in itself.
- yesenadam 8y agoMost of the time people get rich by doing exactly what you want to do: help others. But is that true? You have a feeling it is; I have a feeling it's not. I don't know if there's research on the (rather vague and hard-to-define) question, but that would be interesting to find out. I guess you aren't thinking of inherited wealth, which may be how most people actually get rich. Then there's the people who got rich from investing. Then the people who get rich from e.g. making weapons. Then.. (a dozen other categories omitted) I suspect it's rather small percentage left, but I'm guessing. Apologies if you aren't also.
- goliatone 8y ago“Help others”: this seems to be a side effect rather than a sought outcome and the first thing to be dropped as soon as the business can sacrifice it for a short term return.
- solarkraft 8y agoThe great thing about capitalism/trade is/was that your benefit was directly linked to that of others giving you something in return. However it does seem very much like a lot of people are trying hard (and succeeding) to benefit more than others (those in power).
- tucaz 8y agoAccording to Business Insider 2016 list[1], of the 50 richest people in the world, only 13 inherited their money. Even amongst those people, most of them have managed to keep or grow their fortune by advancing their companies. This is by no means an extensive list or even research, but I believe this pattern repeats itself no matter how you slice the data. Also, I believe that the logical reasoning behind this idea is solid: in capitalism the only way to succeed is to either help others (by producing something they want) or to commit a crime (bribery, stealing, etc) which should, of course, be avoided and prosecuted. 1 - https://www.businessinsider.com/50-richest-people-on-earth-2016-1 https://www.businessinsider.com/50-richest-people-on-earth-2...
- yesenadam 8y agoThanks. I guess by "in capitalism the only way to succeed" you mean, make a lot of money. The main way I hear of people doing this is the CEOs getting tens of millions for doing I'm not sure what. Even for getting fired or doing nothing but harm they make that much sometimes, or often. I'm not sure what you mean "the logical reasoning behind this idea is solid". I guess you meant "In theory, under capitalism..", but the reality is very different.
- ionised 8y ago> Most of the time people get rich by doing exactly what you want to do: help others. I don't think that's true at all.