Enlightened Self-Interest: Individualism, Community, and the Common Good

"In the face of entrenched politics in a polarized society, ineffective economic policy in an unequal society, and environmental inaction in a world that is burning, many well-intentioned people are left feeling helpless, dispirited, and most importantly, apathetic, before an immovable force. They recognize the need for structural, legislative, and policy changes to address the legacy of slavery and deeply rooted inequality in the United States in particular, but they still may yearn to do something as individuals to promote change in these areas. What changes can individuals make in their personal lives that could foster a more civil, equitable, and sustainable society? Recovering lawyer and Miami University business professor Dr. Thomas J. Bussen, Washington University's Dr. Timothy Bono, and longtime academic-practitioner Dr. Henry Biggs address this question in a meticulously researched and empirically rooted book. Together they present a sharp critique of America's ruthlessly self-interested culturewhile offering a holistic understanding of "enlightened self-interest" as an actionable alternative.They first identify how our own taken-for-granted assumptions and societally sanctioned competitions for money, power, and fame promote selfishness, personal alienation, and widespread inequality. Crucially, however, they then propose a simple, specific, and immediately actionable alternative: acting with enlightened self-interest, in which self- and other- interests merge fluently.With the knowledge that individual actions are not enough, they ask the reader this question: For all that we cannot do, is it not time to ask what each of us can do? Is it not time to do the hard work, to move the proverbial needle - even if it does little more than quiver? Is it not time to know, with a certainty that is rare in this complex and confusing world, that to change any life is to change a universe? With humility, with patience and empathy for self and others, and with a clear lens through which to view each of our worlds, let us shake the foundations on which we stand"--
Insights into a compassionate alternative to a ruthlessly self-interested capitalist cultureSocietally sanctioned competition for money, power, and fame promotes selfishness, personal alienation, and widespread inequality, especially in market-oriented economies. Yet many of those engaging in this competitive individualism—the competition for rewards and limited resources—yearn to act directly to promote a more civil, equitable, and sustainable society. Enlightened Self-Interest offers evidence-based insights into the societal and individual consequences of this cultural practice and an actionable alternative to it. This meticulously researched and empirically rooted reexamination of hypercompetition and zero-sum thinking presents inspiring examples of people who have reclaimed their own lives by contributing to a more civil, equitable, and sustainable society. They model the vision of enlightened self-interest, merging self-interest with other interests in pursuit of the common good, resulting in widely shared benefits.Enlighted Self Interest provides a compelling case for incremental change and a series of actionable recommendations to jump-start a personal transition and to become part of a collective radical evolution.