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Zero-sum thinking on business and wealth-creation has already made America (and many countries in the West) poorer - an entire generation has been brainwashed i
by forgingahead 6y ago
Zero-sum thinking on business and wealth-creation has already made America (and many countries in the West) poorer - an entire generation has been brainwashed into believing that business, profit-seeking, and earning money is an ignoble pursuit.
- Pfhreak 6y agoIs this comment satirical? Because when I look around in the states I very much see a deeply held belief that making a profit, operating a business, and earning money is one of the most important things you could do. Those things come with significant cultural cachet.
- splintercell 6y agoComment said 'a generation'. The rest of us still hold the belief quiet deeply that profit, operating a business and earning money is one of the most noble things you can do.
- Dylan16807 6y agoNoble? It's not bad to want money, but that's not in and of itself noble.
- splintercell 6y agoI think the difference between you and me is that I understand the benefits other people get when I make money. You think the only benefit is for the person itself, so trying to call it noble is tacky.
- Dylan16807 6y agoSometimes other people benefit, not always. It depends on how you go about things.
- splintercell 6y agoIt always does, or else the transaction won't take place (as long as it's voluntary, in the strictest sense of the word).
- Dylan16807 6y agoLots of real transactions have pressure applied. But more importantly there are always externalities, and it's basically impossible to make those entirely voluntary; there are far too many to evaluate manually. Many businesses have a positive or neutral effect on almost everyone. And many others have a negative effect on almost everyone they touch, outside of the parties directly involved in a deal.
- pmiller2 6y agoWhat, exactly, is inherently noble about making a profit?
- LilBytes 6y agoI'd suggest the comment above is from the perspective of the vast majority of Americans becoming poorer, and not a reference to the entire countries wealth which serves to benefit a large wealthy minority.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- alphabettsy 6y agoI don’t think it’s satirical. I think it’s a bad faith or ignorant take. My observation is that younger people don’t mind the pursuit of profits as long as it’s more fair and ethical.
- Wintamute 6y agoYoung people are not more fair and ethical, new generations don't just suddenly gain purity and enlightenment out of thin air, they just have a different hustle.
- CryptoPunk 6y agoMuch of the intellectual class, by which I refer to the class thar engages in public discourse, certainly thinks there is something ignoble about making a profit. Online comments demonstrate that.
- vore 6y agoI mean, profit-seeking for the ends of profit-seeking is pretty ignoble: if your ambition is to sit on a pile of money like a fire-breathing dragon, what's the point?
- asdff 6y agoFor many wealthy, continually fueling pure unstoppable hedonism is the entire point.