Comments on: Take 5 Minutes To Love Those Whom You Hate

By: Reason Liberty

Reason Liberty — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:16:00 +0000

All actions are inherently selfish in the sense that they stem from a desire for gratification. This is called people maximizing their utility. This spans from things like choosing which glass to pick up in the morning for your coffee to trading with the local bakery to helping a coworker to giving to charity. All actions are a de-facto manifestation of utility preferences. In this way, all our actions are increasing our utility. That’s why we do them. In the case of helping others we 1) feel nice and 2) realize that at times helping others can benefit us as well.

It is a mistake to think that “being selfish” means disregarding the well-being of others. Indeed, capitalism is founded on the idea that producers provide a useful product to consumers. You make people better off and they make you better off.

By: Travis

Travis — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:53:00 +0000

In response to ‘heaven sounds boring’ I think you would thoroughly enjoy Letters from the Earth by Mark Twain.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:43:00 +0000

Great post Michael. Appealing to the (rational) self-interest of others is the only way to affect change. We cannot promote freedom via force. Two essays that are applicable here are:

A Way To Be Free – by Robert LeFevre

and

The Virtue of Selfishness – by Ayn Rand

Links to both can be found here:

http://www.CenterForSelfRule.org

By: Michael Suede

Michael Suede — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:25:00 +0000

I think capitalism is serving other people.

By creating a new good or service, I am serving others.

Expecting to be paid for providing that service stems from the fact that in helping others, I need to be helped myself. Capitalism is not ugly, it is quite beautiful.

Under pure capitalism, those who serve others the most get the most benefits themselves.

By: Ochab

Ochab — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:02:00 +0000

The ugliness to capitalism is it’s unknowing basis on the premise that everyone is by nature selfish, which is part of what Jesus taught.

Yet capitalism functions, yet when communism- or the idea that you will be unselfish- is forced down people’s throats, that doesn’t work at all.

But if everyone chose to be unselfish (i.e. LOVE) other people, the world would be pretty damn near perfect.

And thank you for stating that heaven sounds boring. I always thought that as well, but no one else I’ve ever known would admit to feeling the same way.