Sufficient affluence/sustainable economy: Economics for everyone (episode nine)
(Continued) ...
Wisdom with which to Understand People
We ask ourselves the following question: Has any successful person in law, business, politics, science, or any other profession managed to achieve his or her success without a solid understanding of human nature? Throughout history, great figures in many fields had possessed very little formal education or family wealth when they started along their life paths. However, all of them mastered the quicksilver skill of drawing others to themselves.
Furthermore, these figures achieved this goal in a way that benefitted all who gathered around them. In doing so, they also benefitted themselves. Andrew Carnegie described this achievement as the creation and implementation of the Master-Mind Principle. We cannot teach Wisdom. However, through the true education of drawing our essence outward from ourselves, many lessons can help us to unlock the treasure box that holds the secrets to wisdom. Wisdom lives within the realm of our intuitive senses. We develop our wisdom through experiences that lead to the understanding of the nature of ourselves and others as well as the universe. Wisdom with which to understand human nature leads directly to the creation of true wealth. However, this process does not occur in reverse order.
Financial Security
Many of us are surprised when we discover the component of financial security at the bottom of the wealth list produced by Andrew Carnegie. After all, Carnegie was the richest person financially in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Presumably, Carnegie had more financial security than any human being ever would need. Others, who barely have enough to eat, would be driven to position this final item at the top of their lists—or would they?
Perhaps the wisdom derived from the life experience of accumulating such a grand amount of financial security led old Andrew to place this element at the bottom of his wealth hierarchy. Certainly, he understood that financial security is necessary but necessary for what purpose? Thinking in terms of Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, does financial security exist as a precondition for obtaining the higher forms of riches on the list? Perhaps Carnegie put this item in twelfth place in an arbitrary manner, implying that all twelve elements were equally necessary, complementary, and interdependent.
However, Carnegie may have discovered that the mastery and application of the other eleven attributes resulted in the facility to accumulate material income and wealth. In other words, financial security is a by-product of the other eleven. These components contribute to financial security. Therefore, let us remember the other eleven things that constitute real riches. Hopefully, the answers to these questions will present themselves to us.
“A Healthy Social Life Is Found Only When, in the Mirror of Each Soul, the Whole Community Finds Its Reflection and When, in the Whole Community, the Virtue of Each One Is Living.”
—Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), Austrian Anthroposophist
During this episode, we have explored the value-core of business success. In simple terms, we considered the old maxim that people prefer to do business with those that they Know, Like, and Trust. On a deeper level, we discussed the worldly philosophy formulated by Andrew Carnegie, a philosophy that consists of twelve components that form real wealth. We put forth that this set of core values comprises the hub that enables the ability to Know, Like, and Trust, for which the byproduct equals success in material terms.
We discussed the values that must be inherent to make task-structure work effectively. Next episode, we will continue to explore the major functional areas that all small groups must organize and manage in order to remain viable economically. With our background on values, we are ready to delineate the responsibilities of a small group into those of Production, Transportation, Properties, Marketing, and Management and to discuss the sub-functions in each area. As we will see, all of these areas are relevant to any professional group or small business. This delineation of tasks around the theme of this month will form the outline for our ongoing discussion over successive months.
It is best to build from the human core outwardly rather than to build inwardly or not to have the human core represented at all. In building a law firm or any other professional practice, we want to start with the humanistic rather than mechanistic. Therefore, Carnegie’s Twelve Things provide us with a universal and tangible blueprint with which to understand our humanity. Through the application of Carnegie’s philosophy, attorneys and other professionals may achieve both personal and monetary success, a success that is both intrinsic and extrinsic.
We hope that our present discourse has enlightened and entertained our readership of Attorneys and others about the intricacies of basic human elements that as affect our economy. We hope that all of our readers enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday later this month and to remember when gathered with family and friends, that Life is a Living/Learning Experience.
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Dr. John F. Sase teaches Economics at Wayne State University and has practiced Forensic and Investigative Economics for twenty years. He earned a combined M.A. in Economics and an MBA at the University of Detroit, followed by a Ph.D. in Economics from Wayne State University. He is a graduate of the University of Detroit Jesuit High School (www.saseassociates.com).
Gerard J. Senick is a freelance writer, editor, and musician. He earned his degree in English at the University of Detroit and was a supervisory editor at Gale Research Company (now Cengage) for over twenty years. Currently, he edits books for publication (www.senick-editing.com).
Julie G. Sase is a copyeditor, parent coach, and empath. She earned her degree in English at Marygrove College and her graduate certificate in Parent Coaching from Seattle Pacific University. Ms. Sase coaches clients, writes articles, and edits copy (royaloakparentcoaching.com).
