Don’t get angry at people who act in their own self-interest

Yesterday, I wrote about the difference between greed and passion. I used overpaid CEOs to show how greed at the top of an organization corrupts the values of those within it at every level.

But here’s the wrinkle: a man will not long act contrary to his self-interest. Altruism is a nice idea, but it doesn’t work for very long in the real world. The attitude of “I gotta get mine before you get yours” prevails.

So, how do we reconcile this little fact with what I said yesterday about passion–the “positive” version of greed, which often benefits the whole at the expense of the individual? It’s not easy to do.

Unless people derive value from caring for others, these two ideas do not work together. As things stand right now, people are self-interested to the point of being selfish–and there is a difference between self-interested and selfish. The self-interested person makes sure he has enough to sustain himself and then will work to improve the lot of others; the selfish person never has enough and hoards resources, irrespective of the damage that hoarding does, and never turns to help others.

Wait, there’s more: while capitalism has an economic blind spot in that it does not provide an easy way to put a value on “the common good,” it does reward vindictiveness. I can make myself rich in one of two ways: I can either earn more than you, or I can limit your income potential. (Don’t believe anyone would want to do that? Read this.) So while my charitable contribution may or may not be tax deductible, my back-stabbing behavior at work lands me a fat raise.

There is no easy solution to this quandry. I’m not suggesting that we should all run to live on a kibbutz! I’m not smart enough to have figured out a solution here, though I do think it’s obvious that personal responsibility plays a big role. I am optimistic that I will live to see this enigma resolved.

And in the meantime, I will continue to be a voice for passion over greed.

Jason Seiden is Co-founder and CEO of Ajax Social Media, a training company that shows professionals how use social media to work more effectively.