Reply To: General thought on old coal mines.

[Rezwan]

Brian H wrote: People will co-operate when they actually believe that supporting other(s)’ goal(s) is also the best way to achieve their own.

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Calling Americans primarily self-interested and greedy is not only inaccurate, it is the most outrageous falsehood, 180° opposed to the facts.

Isn’t “cooperating when you believe supporting others goals is the best way to achieve your own” the same as acting out of self-interest?

And yet, you’re saying Americans are not acting out of their self interest? Were they coerced? So, should we NOT act out of self-interest? You’re confusing me.

I’m sure you will shrilly assert that something is implicit here, but I’m just not sure what.

So, what are Americans primarily? I like to think of us as a cantankerous collection of misfit immigrants who have developed a fabulous way of coordinating their collaboration through a great set of laws and due process and rewards for individual achievement, but who unfortunately have a double standard and tend to support despots overseas, falling short of their own ideals.

Also, did anyone say self interest was a bad thing? That’s what “assertion” as a social skill is about. People need to be able to assert their own interests. It’s extra work for me to try to anticipate what your needs are, much easier for you to assert them. The more people develop that skill, the more the world will reflect the proper allocation of resources. Again, that’s what the whole invisible hand of the market is about. It depends on people being able to assert their self interests.

I’m all about figuring out what people’s “true preference” is. Can’t do that if they aren’t expressing it.

And finally, “altruism” is also a form of self-interest, in which the self now identifies with the whole. Not for everyone. Takes a certain type of person to pull that off.