The need for a new definition of success
The reason why capitalism is so successful is because it is easy to see what success looks like. A big car, a big house, a high paying job, the trappings of wealth… It is what the American Dream is made of. Success becomes relatively easy to describe in terms of conspicuous consumption and dollars. The problem is that capitalism thrives off of competition to the detriment of society, the environment and family.
While success can be defined and people can strive toward a “better” life, even those at the top of the money game aren’t satisfied with what they have because someone else has more, or someone else may have more soon, especially if the person decides enough is enough and if the person happens to be the richest person in the world. The Forbes list keeps track of worth and billionaires keep track of Forbes.
Society suffers as people keep their ideas to themselves, especially the best ideas. Creativity and ideas thrive when they can be shared; however, when someone thinks that money could be made from an idea, he or she is more likely to hold on to it, even if the person doesn’t plan to do anything with the idea. Even those ideas that make it into production may be less than what they could have been with just a couple of more people for input at the design stage.
Competition within a group leads to less creativity. In a capitalist society, especially one that evokes the American Dream and individual success, the group is one. After all, capitalism is founded on the idea that an individual will do what is best for the individual. People are good at living up, or down, to expectations.
In the rush to make a profit, companies are trying to find new products, and consumers must purchase those new products in order for the economy to grow. This rush to create new products results in minor modifications to popular items so that those who want to be in style will rush out and purchase the newest model. Even if the iPhone 4 works great, the person who uses it is considered out of fashion because the iPhone 6 is already available and has a bigger, better… whatever. These types of incremental innovations create a landfill of electronic, toxic waste while also depleting the Earth of its resources. Yet, a make-do and mend society would not work for a capitalist economy.
In the rush to create individual wealth, which has failed in every sense of the word (the top 80 people will have has much as the lower 3.5 billion people), men and women have sacrificed time with family and friends. When people die, no one says that he or she would have liked to have spent more time working or at the office. Oftentimes, they regret not spending more time with those they love or just not finding someone to love. It is the personal relationships that are neglected in capitalism because they have no monetary value; yet, they are the only thing that makes life worth living.
It is time to change the definition of success. Choosing to love people and to lift them up seems like a good start. If we could create a paradigm where our success depends on each other, we could find more common ground and get much more out of life.
I was recently asked at a study session why I was in Malta. My answer was “I am here to help you succeed.” The person looked at me and said that it couldn’t be the only reason. But I think it is the only reason that matters. If those around me succeed, then I will also succeed.
While success can be defined and people can strive toward a “better” life, even those at the top of the money game aren’t satisfied with what they have because someone else has more, or someone else may have more soon, especially if the person decides enough is enough and if the person happens to be the richest person in the world. The Forbes list keeps track of worth and billionaires keep track of Forbes.
Society suffers as people keep their ideas to themselves, especially the best ideas. Creativity and ideas thrive when they can be shared; however, when someone thinks that money could be made from an idea, he or she is more likely to hold on to it, even if the person doesn’t plan to do anything with the idea. Even those ideas that make it into production may be less than what they could have been with just a couple of more people for input at the design stage.
Competition within a group leads to less creativity. In a capitalist society, especially one that evokes the American Dream and individual success, the group is one. After all, capitalism is founded on the idea that an individual will do what is best for the individual. People are good at living up, or down, to expectations.
In the rush to make a profit, companies are trying to find new products, and consumers must purchase those new products in order for the economy to grow. This rush to create new products results in minor modifications to popular items so that those who want to be in style will rush out and purchase the newest model. Even if the iPhone 4 works great, the person who uses it is considered out of fashion because the iPhone 6 is already available and has a bigger, better… whatever. These types of incremental innovations create a landfill of electronic, toxic waste while also depleting the Earth of its resources. Yet, a make-do and mend society would not work for a capitalist economy.
In the rush to create individual wealth, which has failed in every sense of the word (the top 80 people will have has much as the lower 3.5 billion people), men and women have sacrificed time with family and friends. When people die, no one says that he or she would have liked to have spent more time working or at the office. Oftentimes, they regret not spending more time with those they love or just not finding someone to love. It is the personal relationships that are neglected in capitalism because they have no monetary value; yet, they are the only thing that makes life worth living.
It is time to change the definition of success. Choosing to love people and to lift them up seems like a good start. If we could create a paradigm where our success depends on each other, we could find more common ground and get much more out of life.
I was recently asked at a study session why I was in Malta. My answer was “I am here to help you succeed.” The person looked at me and said that it couldn’t be the only reason. But I think it is the only reason that matters. If those around me succeed, then I will also succeed.