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Since the only way to make money is to provide something people want, if you are doing something that provides you with money, you are making your customers' wo

Since the only way to make money is to provide something people want, if you are doing something that provides you with money, you are making your customers' world a better place, at least they must think so.

pyre 17y ago
I promise to take care of toxic waste for some large manufacturing corporations. I take their money and 'dispose' of the waste. What if I dispose of the waste into waterways (lakes, rivers,etc)? My customers are happy because the waste is taken off of their hands. If anyone ever finds out about the dumping, they can claim to no know anything (and they may well not know anything) and *I'm* the one that takes the fall, not them. In the meantime, they get to reap the benefits of cheaper disposal (since it's not being disposed of properly). I would hardly say that I'm making the world a better place though. "happy customers" != "a better world"
- mnemonicsloth 17y ago
  So how does one make the world a better place? Most methods I can think of cost a lot of money.
  - Psyonic 17y ago
    Love your wife and your children. Help out a friend. Clear your elderly neighbor's driveway in the winter. Sure, the effect is tiny, but you've got to start somewhere.
deleted 17y ago
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cma 17y ago
Let's say your customers are "everyone in the world," and your product is diamond rings. Your customers rank each other based on how big of a diamond ring they own. All customers want a bigger ring. When you sell one customer a slightly bigger ring he moves up a rank, and someone else correspondingly moves down a rank. In this abstract model if we assume rank is as important to each participant, you have provided no wealth. This model corresponds well to bits and pieces of an absolutely massive portion of our economy. More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positional_good http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positional_good http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Theory_of_the_Leisure_Class http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Theory_of_the_Leisure_Class

pyre 17y ago

I promise to take care of toxic waste for some large manufacturing corporations. I take their money and 'dispose' of the waste. What if I dispose of the waste into waterways (lakes, rivers,etc)? My customers are happy because the waste is taken off of their hands. If anyone ever finds out about the dumping, they can claim to no know anything (and they may well not know anything) and *I'm* the one that takes the fall, not them. In the meantime, they get to reap the benefits of cheaper disposal (since it's not being disposed of properly). I would hardly say that I'm making the world a better place though. "happy customers" != "a better world"

mnemonicsloth 17y ago
So how does one make the world a better place? Most methods I can think of cost a lot of money.
- Psyonic 17y ago
  Love your wife and your children. Help out a friend. Clear your elderly neighbor's driveway in the winter. Sure, the effect is tiny, but you've got to start somewhere.

deleted 17y ago

[deleted]

cma 17y ago

Let's say your customers are "everyone in the world," and your product is diamond rings. Your customers rank each other based on how big of a diamond ring they own. All customers want a bigger ring. When you sell one customer a slightly bigger ring he moves up a rank, and someone else correspondingly moves down a rank. In this abstract model if we assume rank is as important to each participant, you have provided no wealth. This model corresponds well to bits and pieces of an absolutely massive portion of our economy. More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positional_good http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positional_good http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Theory_of_the_Leisure_Class http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Theory_of_the_Leisure_Class