Business and Humanitarianism
Being a leader in business is what it means to be a humanitarian
Starting a business, running it well, and sustaining its operations is a greater benefit to humanity than running a non-profit, volunteering, or becoming an academic for the following reasons.
First a well run business teaches its operators and customers invaluable lessons about costs, labor, production, and the economy that could not be learned otherwise. Without businesses most would remain ignorant about how money and markets work.
Second, a well run business requires critical thinking skills that usually aren’t developed in other settings including college.
Third, a well run business literally enriches humanity with valuable goods and services while the value of the efforts of a non-profit organization, volunteer, or academic are not immediately apparent if there is any at all.
Fourth owners of a well run business better appreciate people and things because they’re more familiar with the costs and struggles to sustain and maintain them.
Fifth, the efforts of business leaders have been unequivocally more successful in eradicating global poverty than similar efforts from non profits, volunteers, or academics.
Sixth, the societal prosperity that results from well run businesses gives people more -- in terms of goods and services -- to live for and thus disincentivizes destruction and violence.
Seventh, successfully maintaining a regular customer base requires a high degree of tolerance that can’t be taught unless one is in business themselves.
Eighth, the technologies that are produced by businesses are used to expand the world’s knowledge base so people can better know and love the world they live in.
So if you love humanity join the cause — start a business and provide humanity with pride of purchasing power and the pleasure of profit!
Zigmund Reichenbach has an M.A. in Philosophy from West Chester University and works as an advocate for less government. You can help him combat bad ideas in politics and philosophy by donating to his work at https://ko-fi.com/zigmundreichenbach .
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