After a long break, this blog is back.
Most religions are largely about individuals being good, or doing good, for society, for others. That’s probably why religion is an integral part of the all societies that have survived. Survival of the fittest works on the societal level maybe even more importantly than it works on an individual level. The fittest societies (with religion) must have conquered, destroyed, dominated, and/or assimilated societies without religion. Robert Heinlein talked about this when he talked about the importance of patriotism for a society’s survival. Of course, he called it patriotism rather than religion, but I think they both are selected in the same way.
If you have a job in the free market, that job, or a job that will follow, is probably the greatest good you will ever do for society – maybe not for yourself, maybe not for your family, but for the rest of society. (And probably for yourself and family, too.) Your work is helping keep fellow employees employed. Your work is helping customers improve their wealth with every single transaction with your company. Why else would they transact if not to get something worth more than what they are paying? In the judgment of those who have studied the matter the most and who are most invested in getting the judgment right (spenders of their own money), your work is producing more value to society than society is paying you for the work. Your work is profitable to society.
Of course, this is also one more reason for society to keep as many jobs as possible in the free market system. Such jobs are the only jobs we know to be generally profitable to society.
If you are looking for noble purpose in your life don’t forget how important ordinary work is to others who also receive the fruits of your labor.
