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O P I N I O N
I ’ve previously written about a group I’ve become active with here in Reno, which has offices in many cities throughout the world. To become familiar with the organization, I recommend a visit to their website: consciouscapitalism.org/about We all like and need profits, but there’s more to doing business than the bottom line, and the A/E industry should take heed. Revisiting Conscious Capitalism
Just a portion of the group’s credo says it all: “We believe that business is good because it creates value, it is ethical because it is based on voluntary exchange, it is noble because it can elevate our existence, and it is heroic because it lifts people out of poverty and creates prosperity. Free enterprise capitalism is the most powerful system for social cooperation and human progress ever conceived. It is one of the most compelling ideas we humans have ever had. But we can aspire to even more.” The four key principles of conscious capitalism are: 1)Higher purpose. In the words of University of Virginia Darden School of Business professor and Conscious Capitalism, Inc. trustee R. Edward Free-
man, “We need red blood cells to live (the same way a business needs profits to live), but the purpose of life is more than to make red blood cells (the same way the purpose of business is more than simply to generate profits).” While making money is essential for the vitality and sustainability of a business, it is not the only or even the most important reason a business exists. Conscious businesses focus on their purpose beyond profit. We all need meaning and purpose in our lives. It is one of the things that separates us from other animals. Purpose activates us and motivates us. It moves us to get up in the morning, sustains us when times get tough, and serves as a guiding star when
Ed Friedrichs
See ED FRIEDRICHS, page 8
THE ZWEIG LETTER January 15, 2018, ISSUE 1231
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