It's not personal. It's just business...

Dan Ariely, a behavioral economist, talks about the different norms that people follow such as the difference between a business transaction and a personal transaction. He conducted an experiment: 

The experiment was that they gave or sold candies to students on MIT campus:

When the candy was free people tended to take on average 1 candy. This was in deference to not taking to much to make sure there was enough for other people

When the candy was sold for 1 penny consideration for others was no longer a factor and it was seen solely as a business deal. People took 3-4 times more candies.

https://thedecisionlab.com/insights/business/impact-free-consumer-decision-making

The rules change when money becomes involved. However god does not compartmentalize things in this way as he says here:

D&C 29:34-"I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal;"

For him everything is spiritual and we are to act as a disciple at all times and even, perhaps especially while we are working in the economy.

One of the tenets of capitalism is that self interest will create the greatest outcomes for all of society. Therefore looking out for yourself will maximize market efficiencies and create the best possible outcomes. Cain takes this idea to the extreme saying “am I my brother’s keeper”. The idea that everyone must take care of themself alone is not the path of a disciple A disciple of Christ cannot split things into personal and business. To God it’s all personal.

We are all to look beyond our personal self interest

D&C 82:19- every man seeking the interest of his neighbor, and doing all things with an eye singe to the glory of god

Sometimes we really are horrible at this Brigham Young talked about this also

"There are men in this community who, through the force of the education they have received from their parents and friends [i.e., this is an established ethic among us], would cheat a poor widow out of her last cow, and then go down upon their knees and thank God for the good fortune he had sent them and for his kind providences that enabled them to obtain a cow without becoming amenable to any law of the land, though the poor widow has been actually cheated"

(Approaching Zion page 52)

Creating an efficient market as the highest good is used to justify much evil as I mention in my post here:

https://www.jeffbrownsclassroom.com/jeff-browns-sunday-school-classroom/stop-using-capitalism-to-justify-evil-choices

We do not need to wait for Zion to start acting like this. In fact we cannot wait as this is what is required of a disciple in any situation. Zion will only come as we act like this.

(I hate that I have to say this as so many get triggered by saying anything anticapitalist but I am not arguing in favor of any other economic system such as socialism or communism) 

original facebook post here on March 29,2024

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02UG9SxaaXA16NEu3zn54kfipp6rCrzxoTKmQxqYeFWkydMrbUfUHXamtSTiZ2RYfCl&id=539482556