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Yeah, trade transcends the individual, but profit based capitalism does not. If your utility function is profit, you will get egotistical behavior. What we shou

Yeah, trade transcends the individual, but profit based capitalism does not. If your utility function is profit, you will get egotistical behavior. What we should really try to maximize is the number of smiles in this world, because that, I think, is a better measure of the success of a society. We should really strive to feel better not to have more. Money is an instrument that favors egotistical thinking, counting what we have, but funny enough, we seem to feel better when we give more, not when we get more.

mseebach 13y ago
That makes no sense. Self interest is why it works. Adam smith said it succinctly: "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity, but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities, but of their advantages." http://www.classicreader.com/book/770/3/ http://www.classicreader.com/book/770/3/ As for "maximising the number of smiles" and "strive to feel better, not to have more", there is research that suggests that the way to do that is to become richer: http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2013/04/subjective-well-being-income http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2013/04/subjective-...