Post by fastwalker on Apr 23, 2006 10:39:32 GMT -5
Before I post some thoughts on one’s noble obligation that comes with wealth, I will point out that this particular post is directed at us, the shareholders of CMKX.
That it assumes one important factor, that we have or will receive wealth from CMKX.
Having said that, the reader is expected to understand that I have taken a leap of faith here, since I’m not a big fan of rumors, and have taken for granted, or accepted as true without any viable proof right now, that CMKX will in fact provide us with wealth.
That distinction is very important in understanding where exactly my thinking on this matter of wealth and noble obligation is, especially as relevant to a sudden or sustained accumulation of wealth.
Yesterday I had a long discussion with Kenshin7 on CMKX and we discussed many things associated with having or at least possible upon receiving a significant amount of money, in this case from CMKX. We also spoke extensively on exactly how and what such a blessing of acquiring wealth really meant, what impact it would have on our lives and those within our immediate sphere of influence and those less affluent and requiring assistance?
Which lead us to discussing in a broad sense, the moral and religious obligation that comes from such a blessing, with the implications and or ramifications to help those less fortunate? If one assumes that is the case, that wealthy individuals do have a certain obligation, where does that concept come from?
Essentially it is stated in the Bible; Luke 12:48
"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."
So that simply states, without reservation, we do in fact have a obligation, which can be seen as a noble obligation to spread the wealth where it would do the best good. I used the term Noble Obligation what do I mean by that?
Noble Obligation is often quoted as “Noblesse Oblige” which is French and defined as “meaning literally, nobility obliges. or the "noble obligation". It is generally used to confer that with wealth, power and prestige come social responsibilities.
In ethical discussion, Noblesse Oblige is or can be summarize as a moral economy wherein privilege must be balanced by duty towards those who lack such privilege or who cannot perform such duty. It is therefore viewed as a public responsibilities of the rich, famous and powerful, to provide good examples of behavior, to exceed minimal standards of decency and to extend with compassion, that which the needy requires to achieve their own level of decency within the ranks of society, that they are otherwise unable to achieve on their own.
I’m not suggesting that you confer upon another individual all your wealth. That would defeat the purpose of the blessing wealth being bestowed upon you. Rather I’m suggesting that you seek, without fanfare, to restore people in need to a position where they are better off because you are able to and to do so and willing to, without any bias or reservation. By that I mean, you don’t judge the degree of help you are willing to provide them with, by judging them through the eyes of someone who is “not” in their particular position.
Without fanfare means simply that, don’t seek recognition for being a decent person.
Don’t attempt personal recognition, through a public display of humanitarianism, to stand on the backs of those in need and shout to the World, see I have wealth and I have helped these
people.
That is not, I would assume why the blessing of wealth was or is about to be conferred upon you, to debase the good you can do, it in an attempt to receive accolades. With wealth comes responsibility and a form of power. Power which enables you capable of doing things others may not be able to do. Assume that by these new found wealth standards, the simple act, the simple task to benefit another, is simple because you have the wealth to do it. Wealth demands that you do and in the greater scheme if things, you are obliged to do so.
What exactly so we mean by those words, wealth, power, and social responsibility?
Before answering that, allow me to share a funny, yet poignant bit of humor that I feel explains noble obligation and human intent at times.
Three individuals were having a discussion about what they would do, if they suddenly came into a great amount of wealth.
The first said, I would draw a small size circle on the ground and toss the money into the air above the circle. The money that landed outside the circle I would give to God to do his work and that which landed within the circle, I would keep.
The second man said, I would draw a small size circle on the ground and toss the money into the air and that money which landed within the circle I would keep and that which landed outside the circle I would use for God’s work to help the needy.
The third man pondered a minute and then simply said, “ I would not draw a circle on the ground, I would just toss the money into the air and what God wanted to keep, he could catch.
This little joke actually demonstrates how we think as humans, it’s simply human nature and while you may ridicule and or scorned it as not being accurate, in reality it is. When humans are required or think they are required to do something and are without the means to do so, they often make grand plans.
But then if they are suddenly or possibly thrust into a position of wealth or the possibility to acquire wealth, they start may start making altruistic plans, you know what plans, those plans indicating to themselves and their immediate World, their truly unselfish concern for the welfare of others; as if to say, God, give me that money and I will do great things with it.
If we use the humor of the three men, say as a lesson guide, may be even as a measure of how the human commitment to help others can change, we see that as get nearer to actual goal of wealth and or we finally acquire it, people will change. I would assume that if the people on the boards are honest, the majority of people will simply stray from announced plans to do well and justify it by saying, I’ll get to it later. We make plans when we are without the ability to execute them and modify them to serve our own best interest when we are able.
Does that make you a bad person? No, simply human. If you fail to get to it later, then I would say you are a bad person for not sharing your blessings.
At this point in the sermon, I would like to expound a bit on what wealth and all it’s trappings means, well at least to me anyway.
A quick check of the dictionary reveals that wealth is basically an abundance of valuable material possessions or resources; riches and or the state of being rich; affluence.
We also know that power is associated with wealth, where power means the ability or capacity to perform or act effectively, the ability, or authority to perform an act, to generate a change in a particular relationship by doing or not doing a certain act.
We also see that Prestige is associated with wealth and that prestige is defined as the level of respect which one is regarded by in certain social circles; it is a certain standing, a person's high standing that is among others; where that person is perceived as having a level of esteem achieved and recognized as prominence and distinction of importance, often through success, influence or wealth.
When we review these words, we can quickly understand that they are essentially interchangeable and further, they are often the basis by which we humans rank each other with respect to socially accepted visions of success. We could also view those conditions as the basis for a social responsibility of the wealthy toward the less fortunate, the neded if you will to “pay it forward.”.
What do I mean by that? Well in the broad sense of the term, social responsibility is a doctrine that claims that an entity, whether it is state, government, corporation, organization or an individual, has a responsibility to society. This responsibility can be "negative," in that it is a responsibility to refrain from acting, or it can be "positive," meaning a responsibility to act.
There is large inequality in the means and roles of different entities /peoples to fulfill their claimed responsibility. Some, without meaning to add a political overtone to the discussion, assert there is no "social responsibility" to do anything, but only to refrain from doing. They argue that social responsibility only exists to the extent that an individual or business should not initiate physical force, threat of force, or fraud against another.
In his famous article The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase Profits, Nobel economist Milton Friedman asserts that business has no social responsibility other than to increase profits and refrain from engaging in deception and fraud. He maintains that when business seeks to maximize profits it almost always incidentally does what is good for society.
Friedman does not argue that business should not help the community but that it may indeed be in the long-run self-interest of a business to "devote resources to providing amenities to the community..." in order to "generate goodwill" and thereby increase profits.
As humans, we interacting on a daily basis with others and therefore, we must decide just what exactly are our responsibility toward our fellow man? I would suggest that the elements of Social Responsibility are, but not limited to,
• recognition and acceptance of the consequences of each action and decision one undertakes
• caring attitude towards self and others
• sense of control and competence
• recognition and acceptance of individual and cultural diversity
• recognition of basic human rights of self and others
• the ability to be open to new ideas, experiences, and people
• understanding of the importance of volunteering in social and community activities
• ability to engage in experimentation with various adult roles
• development of leadership, communication, and social skills
In closing out this post, I would add that I’m not your telling you what you should or shouldn’t do with any new found wealth, I ‘m merely stating out loud, some personal and what I’m sure some will perceive as decidedly bias observations on the human condition.
You should move in whatever direction best suits your demeanor and ability, with regards to how you will interaction with your fellow man now and upon receipt of wealth.
I would add another observation as a summation.
If in fact we are destined to receive wealth, then it is a forgone conclusion that such wealth will manifest itself not in man’s time frame, but in God’s timeframe.
Should you make public announcements as to the your personal and family desires for disposition of your wealth? Sure , why not, it’s not a problem, it’s fun and harmless and a great way to relieve stress, to dream of things.
But I would personally refrain from any public announcements regarding my intent and level of participation to help others. After all, my belief is that since God already knows if and when you’ll get the money, God also knows what you will do with it once you have it. In that sense, if and when we do get money, you can be assured that what you will all do with it, is already known by God.
Have a good week-end and a great rest of your life, because change I would think, for better or worse, is upon us now. As such, I have a lot to do between now and the 15th of MAY
fw
That it assumes one important factor, that we have or will receive wealth from CMKX.
Having said that, the reader is expected to understand that I have taken a leap of faith here, since I’m not a big fan of rumors, and have taken for granted, or accepted as true without any viable proof right now, that CMKX will in fact provide us with wealth.
That distinction is very important in understanding where exactly my thinking on this matter of wealth and noble obligation is, especially as relevant to a sudden or sustained accumulation of wealth.
Yesterday I had a long discussion with Kenshin7 on CMKX and we discussed many things associated with having or at least possible upon receiving a significant amount of money, in this case from CMKX. We also spoke extensively on exactly how and what such a blessing of acquiring wealth really meant, what impact it would have on our lives and those within our immediate sphere of influence and those less affluent and requiring assistance?
Which lead us to discussing in a broad sense, the moral and religious obligation that comes from such a blessing, with the implications and or ramifications to help those less fortunate? If one assumes that is the case, that wealthy individuals do have a certain obligation, where does that concept come from?
Essentially it is stated in the Bible; Luke 12:48
"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."
So that simply states, without reservation, we do in fact have a obligation, which can be seen as a noble obligation to spread the wealth where it would do the best good. I used the term Noble Obligation what do I mean by that?
Noble Obligation is often quoted as “Noblesse Oblige” which is French and defined as “meaning literally, nobility obliges. or the "noble obligation". It is generally used to confer that with wealth, power and prestige come social responsibilities.
In ethical discussion, Noblesse Oblige is or can be summarize as a moral economy wherein privilege must be balanced by duty towards those who lack such privilege or who cannot perform such duty. It is therefore viewed as a public responsibilities of the rich, famous and powerful, to provide good examples of behavior, to exceed minimal standards of decency and to extend with compassion, that which the needy requires to achieve their own level of decency within the ranks of society, that they are otherwise unable to achieve on their own.
I’m not suggesting that you confer upon another individual all your wealth. That would defeat the purpose of the blessing wealth being bestowed upon you. Rather I’m suggesting that you seek, without fanfare, to restore people in need to a position where they are better off because you are able to and to do so and willing to, without any bias or reservation. By that I mean, you don’t judge the degree of help you are willing to provide them with, by judging them through the eyes of someone who is “not” in their particular position.
Without fanfare means simply that, don’t seek recognition for being a decent person.
Don’t attempt personal recognition, through a public display of humanitarianism, to stand on the backs of those in need and shout to the World, see I have wealth and I have helped these
people.
That is not, I would assume why the blessing of wealth was or is about to be conferred upon you, to debase the good you can do, it in an attempt to receive accolades. With wealth comes responsibility and a form of power. Power which enables you capable of doing things others may not be able to do. Assume that by these new found wealth standards, the simple act, the simple task to benefit another, is simple because you have the wealth to do it. Wealth demands that you do and in the greater scheme if things, you are obliged to do so.
What exactly so we mean by those words, wealth, power, and social responsibility?
Before answering that, allow me to share a funny, yet poignant bit of humor that I feel explains noble obligation and human intent at times.
Three individuals were having a discussion about what they would do, if they suddenly came into a great amount of wealth.
The first said, I would draw a small size circle on the ground and toss the money into the air above the circle. The money that landed outside the circle I would give to God to do his work and that which landed within the circle, I would keep.
The second man said, I would draw a small size circle on the ground and toss the money into the air and that money which landed within the circle I would keep and that which landed outside the circle I would use for God’s work to help the needy.
The third man pondered a minute and then simply said, “ I would not draw a circle on the ground, I would just toss the money into the air and what God wanted to keep, he could catch.
This little joke actually demonstrates how we think as humans, it’s simply human nature and while you may ridicule and or scorned it as not being accurate, in reality it is. When humans are required or think they are required to do something and are without the means to do so, they often make grand plans.
But then if they are suddenly or possibly thrust into a position of wealth or the possibility to acquire wealth, they start may start making altruistic plans, you know what plans, those plans indicating to themselves and their immediate World, their truly unselfish concern for the welfare of others; as if to say, God, give me that money and I will do great things with it.
If we use the humor of the three men, say as a lesson guide, may be even as a measure of how the human commitment to help others can change, we see that as get nearer to actual goal of wealth and or we finally acquire it, people will change. I would assume that if the people on the boards are honest, the majority of people will simply stray from announced plans to do well and justify it by saying, I’ll get to it later. We make plans when we are without the ability to execute them and modify them to serve our own best interest when we are able.
Does that make you a bad person? No, simply human. If you fail to get to it later, then I would say you are a bad person for not sharing your blessings.
At this point in the sermon, I would like to expound a bit on what wealth and all it’s trappings means, well at least to me anyway.
A quick check of the dictionary reveals that wealth is basically an abundance of valuable material possessions or resources; riches and or the state of being rich; affluence.
We also know that power is associated with wealth, where power means the ability or capacity to perform or act effectively, the ability, or authority to perform an act, to generate a change in a particular relationship by doing or not doing a certain act.
We also see that Prestige is associated with wealth and that prestige is defined as the level of respect which one is regarded by in certain social circles; it is a certain standing, a person's high standing that is among others; where that person is perceived as having a level of esteem achieved and recognized as prominence and distinction of importance, often through success, influence or wealth.
When we review these words, we can quickly understand that they are essentially interchangeable and further, they are often the basis by which we humans rank each other with respect to socially accepted visions of success. We could also view those conditions as the basis for a social responsibility of the wealthy toward the less fortunate, the neded if you will to “pay it forward.”.
What do I mean by that? Well in the broad sense of the term, social responsibility is a doctrine that claims that an entity, whether it is state, government, corporation, organization or an individual, has a responsibility to society. This responsibility can be "negative," in that it is a responsibility to refrain from acting, or it can be "positive," meaning a responsibility to act.
There is large inequality in the means and roles of different entities /peoples to fulfill their claimed responsibility. Some, without meaning to add a political overtone to the discussion, assert there is no "social responsibility" to do anything, but only to refrain from doing. They argue that social responsibility only exists to the extent that an individual or business should not initiate physical force, threat of force, or fraud against another.
In his famous article The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase Profits, Nobel economist Milton Friedman asserts that business has no social responsibility other than to increase profits and refrain from engaging in deception and fraud. He maintains that when business seeks to maximize profits it almost always incidentally does what is good for society.
Friedman does not argue that business should not help the community but that it may indeed be in the long-run self-interest of a business to "devote resources to providing amenities to the community..." in order to "generate goodwill" and thereby increase profits.
As humans, we interacting on a daily basis with others and therefore, we must decide just what exactly are our responsibility toward our fellow man? I would suggest that the elements of Social Responsibility are, but not limited to,
• recognition and acceptance of the consequences of each action and decision one undertakes
• caring attitude towards self and others
• sense of control and competence
• recognition and acceptance of individual and cultural diversity
• recognition of basic human rights of self and others
• the ability to be open to new ideas, experiences, and people
• understanding of the importance of volunteering in social and community activities
• ability to engage in experimentation with various adult roles
• development of leadership, communication, and social skills
In closing out this post, I would add that I’m not your telling you what you should or shouldn’t do with any new found wealth, I ‘m merely stating out loud, some personal and what I’m sure some will perceive as decidedly bias observations on the human condition.
You should move in whatever direction best suits your demeanor and ability, with regards to how you will interaction with your fellow man now and upon receipt of wealth.
I would add another observation as a summation.
If in fact we are destined to receive wealth, then it is a forgone conclusion that such wealth will manifest itself not in man’s time frame, but in God’s timeframe.
Should you make public announcements as to the your personal and family desires for disposition of your wealth? Sure , why not, it’s not a problem, it’s fun and harmless and a great way to relieve stress, to dream of things.
But I would personally refrain from any public announcements regarding my intent and level of participation to help others. After all, my belief is that since God already knows if and when you’ll get the money, God also knows what you will do with it once you have it. In that sense, if and when we do get money, you can be assured that what you will all do with it, is already known by God.
Have a good week-end and a great rest of your life, because change I would think, for better or worse, is upon us now. As such, I have a lot to do between now and the 15th of MAY
fw