Do not conflate profit-seeking with profit maximisation
Profit – from Latin proficere “accomplish, make progress; be useful, do good; have success, profit,” from pro “forward” (from PIE root *per- (1) “forward”) + combining form of facere “to make, do” (from PIE root *dhe- “to set, put”). An Old English word “gain, profit” was gewinn. Online etymological dictionary
The word profit has become a political and social landmine. And for good reason. The neoliberal engine of the last forty or so years wants everything to be about profit maximisation, low cost, humans as consumers and governments with little or no power.
Profit maximisation as a purpose care naught about people, our Earth, or the future. Take a look around, and unless you are in the top 1%, everyone and everything suffers from profit maximisation.
Profit-seeking, on the other hand, is a healthy purpose. Building enterprises that do good, are useful, have success and go forward is required simply to be sustainable.
If we do not do this, the enterprise is entropic.
Life itself is emergent and towards progress. We might aim to leave our Earth better than we found it. This itself is profit-seeking.
Do not conflate profit-seeking with profit maximisation. Profit-seeking is to enable economies that flourish and are alive. Farmers know this when they work with soil. We need to cultivate the soil to be healthy all of the time, rather than suck the life out of it for a short term gain.
Photo Taken April 2nd 2023
