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On Lameness and Assumptions

Spirals.

One of the things that most appeals to me about Adam Smith's moral philosophy that we call capitalism is that it assumes the best of people, or at least it doesn't assume the worst. I tend to believe that people will often behave the way they are expected to behave. If that's true, a society based on a philosophy stating that people are essentially good will be full of people who are generally good. Free countries are good examples of this. Countries in which people are allowed to assemble, speak their minds, and spend their resources the way they choose are generally stable societies. It is when the state determines that its people are no longer fit to make their own decisions that people start believing that they need to be governed more carefully. If the people don't begin to distrust themselves, they'll distrust their neighbors, or whoever is responsible for making the government's meddling necessary.

My understanding of Adam Smith's philosophy was that people are assumed to seek their own interests. What many fail to remember is that Smith also believed that people should never seek their own interests at the expense of others'. He said, "the man of the most perfect virtue...the man whom we naturally love and revere the most, is he who joins, to the most perfect command of his own original and selfish feelings, the most exquisite sensibility both to the original and sympathetic feelings of others."

It's a beautiful idea to which I'd like to aspire. It's unfortunate that many people assume the worst in each other, and believe that they must "get theirs" before someone else does, but I think that free societies are generally pretty good at minimizing that mindset. It's more unfortunate that many feel like capitalism is a positivistic science that justifies purely selfish behavior. That's simply not true.

The fact is that we need to check one another because sometimes we'll encounter crooked deals and shady salespeople. Other times, we'll encounter totally lame people.

For instance: the other day, my brother pointed out to me that people were selling Lance Armstrong's LIVESTRONG wristbands for around $30 on eBay under the pretext that they had been sold out elsewhere. Not only were the bands not entirely sold out, but they were being sold as a part of a fundraiser for the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research. Now, I'm ready to give kudos to the genius who came up with the simple, elegant, and distinctive yellow wristband idea. I understand that Armstrong's record-breaking 6th win in the Tour de France has made them a bit of a hot item. I also know that many celebrities are sporting the wristbands. And I understand how an increase in demand for these items would naturally increase the price of these items. It all makes perfect sense.

But here's the deal: unless all of the proceeds for these auctions were going to charity, the sellers are totally lame. Each band costs a dollar. I got one at a Nike outlet and lost it, so I ordered a pack of ten online from the Lance Armstrong Foundation's website. I didn't mind paying extra because all the money goes to cancer research. But what do I know? Maybe the eBayers are saving up for college, or maybe they've got mouths to feed. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, but it still seems lame to me. So, in an effort to counter their lameness, I'll tell you what. I've given out some of my extra bands, but the first three people to e-mail me and request one will receive one free of charge. I'll stuff each one in an envelope and send them your way on one condition: you donate something to the charity of your choice. I've paid the dollar to Lance's foundation. If you want the wristband, do something further. It's as simple as that. And guess what: I won't even ask for proof of your donation. I think it's safe to assume that I can trust my readers to be good.