Can we create a society based on happiness and not for profit?

Considering the natural right to exchange with people in such a way, scarcity of supply vs the greatness of demand, and the vast inherent differences between individuals, in things such as temperament, character, capacity and beliefs, I don't think so.

Indeed, I think profit plays an extremely important role in happiness. As Adam Smith said, "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest." Profit is achieved through voluntary exchange; both sides believe they gain from the exchange. Through the market with its pricing process and profit motive, consumer preferences attempt to be satisfied.

This doesn't mean that larger monetary profits are necessarily better. After all, it is possible for the state to intervene in such a way as to increase them while also frustrating preferences - intellectual monopoly and the War on Vices perhaps being an example in areas such as health/medical care and entertainment.

Gospel : The thing about communism is that it will never fully work. Not because it is imperfect, but rather because it is so perfect that it would be impossible for the mortal human to follow, because there will always be greed. Sorry for bringing religion in this, but the only place where communism will truly work is heaven, because everyone is equal. Even if they became as economically superior as the US or Europe, the quality of life would still be low because you are splitting all that money between a billion people.

And about the approval rate, people in China have been taught in schools that they should follow a dictator their chairman as their leader and so expect the ratings from people who don't keep their hard earned money to be high.

Unfortunately, a lot of people are greedy and do not want to share with others. It may work if it was like a village in a remote island, but that's about it.

There is no exeption, communisim will never truly work. You have to remeber we are not perfect and greed is in human nature, which is completely unavoidable.

I have found a lot of the recent comments interesting.

I think this is not an issue of greed at all.... at least not among the general population. I think most people are actually quite charitable. However there is a big difference between forcing people to give up their money and allowing people to choose to do it. I think that is the fundamental difference.

Also it is worth pointing out that the good charities actually give out 80-90% of the donations they receive towards helping people. I wonder what percentage of government revenue actually goes back to the people.

Some of these comments are scary. We cannot share all money with everyone in an equal basis. Like many other people have posted, that's called Communism and just causes the destruction of society.

And I do have to agree with some people on here... There's a difference between greed and profit.
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/greed

http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/profit


Greed is having to have everything, whether it be money or material goods. Profit is money made from an enterprise or transaction. There's nothing wrong with profit. If your parents didn't work and make money, profit from working, then you would have no place to say and wouldn't have this site to post and chat on.

There are greedy people but 99.999 percent of people are just looking to make a profit and buy the things they want and need.

Your favorite Nintendo/Microsoft/Sony item is that businesses way of making profit. There's nothing wrong with making profit if both ends are satisfied in the deal.

I think so only if it was true happiness. Some people though in our society look at happiness as possesions or things that they get at Christmas. Sometimes I wish people would look at the brighter things in life other than money.

I think that would be a great thing... but the world is just to far and greedy these days... The government keeps us from this, they control us with laws and with taxes that if we do not pay we will end up in prison.In reality, without money, you have no home, no happiness, no love, no anything ... The truth is just sad isn't it?

Sorry if i am putting people in a bad mood with these words XD

at the end of the day peopel work to support their family and then when their sufficiently supported they go on to get more stuff in pursuit of happiness in material goods. it sounds wrong but to get there you need money so money is proimary motive for everything and even though this whole process sounds too materilaistic and unhealthy its the way the world always seems to have worked ever sicne currency was invented before that it was all hunter-gathering and bartering trades i personally would prefer what we have now. even though we're profit motivated we can still be happy and do good with our material goods so societys working good for alot right now, the only people working at a loss is hobos, even poor people like me stand to gain alot in todays society its very open also so even a poor person can make it big which is what im hoping for ...

in conclusion , nah we cant make a society based on happiness because profits the best way to build a society anyway the only things it dosent accoutn for is the occasional injustice in law courts but helps even poor people become rich due to the freedom of mobility within classes