Позитивные изменения. Тематический выпуск «Экономика будущего» (2023). Positive changes. Special issue «The economy of the future» (2023)

It is crucial to note here that this particular economic model does not make a distinction between those in need who receive benefits without actively contributing through creative work, often hiding behind misguided notions of social justice and identifying themselves as “the people,” and the genuinely developed, proactive individuals who work for the social good and assume great responsibility for their actions. Unfortunately, the latter group is frequently disparagingly labeled as “crooks and thieves” by the former. In the new economy, everything depends on the individual contribution of each person to the society of positive interchange, on the real effect of this contribution. This division can be avoided because the society and its entire social and economic activity is put on the same track and measured by the same standards. This stands in contrast to the current division where the commercial sector, although economically sustainable, and even prosperous at the top of the social pyramid, is often perceived as “evil” by the society. On the other hand, the social sector is viewed as “good” but struggles to achieve financial sustainability due to being marginalized and disadvantaged. Such disparity often leads to feelings of deception and resentment among the latter group, prompting them to come together in an effort to restore a sense of “social justice” against perceived “oppressors” who they believe consistently exploit and cheat them. At times, those in power may employ a mix of incentives and concessions, gradually raising the social security standards to placate the dissent and maintain the status quo, preventing the collapse of existing social mechanisms.

What do we mean when we talk about the human qualities and competencies that shape the essence of an individual and indicate their level of development? They can be described as the basic skills and competencies that are natural and universal for all humans, regardless of their external differences, and which can be assessed to determine the development level of the individual and the society. We will name four of them:

• personality strength

• responsibility

• understanding

• morality

It is safe to say that the development of these qualities in any individual or the society in general correlates to the overall development level of that person or the society. The more pronounced these qualities are, the higher the overall level of development, and vice versa. Let’s talk briefly about each quality.

Personal strength is the actual level of power that each person feels within themselves, which is necessary to perform any activity. This is the primary attribute that defines the status or scale of an individual, determines their identity. How much power do I feel inside? Who do I consider myself to be? The way a person answers these questions determines what they feel like. This can also be derived from the way that person behaves in their actions and relationships with other people.

Responsibility means an area in which an individual is able to provide order. Each person chooses a particular level or scale of responsibility, which is determined by the size of the area they are able to control. For some, this area may be limited to “just me”, others take responsibility for themselves and their family; some people can be responsible for as much as an enterprise or even a country. The real responsibility can be measured by the degree of order established within the respective area. If the order is not secured, responsibility cannot be confirmed.

Understanding means the level of understanding – some people understand little, some understand more, some understand a lot. Like responsibility, actual understanding must be verified by practice.

Morality as a word comes from the Latin ‘moralitas’, which means “manner, proper behavior” – which in turn describes one’s taste for life. Some people’s tastes are quite low – bad habits, disorderly behavior, fondness of destructive activity, lack of motivation for development. Others have good tastes – aspiration to constant creative work, the sense of order, beauty, and a love for the people. This determines a person’s level of morality.