Business, Philosophy, Principles of Spirituality & their correlation to success
I hear, “It’s nothing personal it’s just business.” I find the statement interesting. True business is not an attack on personal character; however, does it not reflect the leadership? Is leadership nothing more than people? As future progresses robots will have human makers. Will robots not possess a touch of personal desires? Will this influence not be the result of humans? Does it not compel us to ask, “How can Business not be personal?”
I think the statement has been taken out of context.
We are all individuals. We are all people. Each person has passion, desire, opinions and beliefs. How is it, a person separates their personal philosophies from business? Is not a hypocrite a person that says one thing but is exactly the opposite?
Would you steal from a business but refuse to steal from a house? Does this sound contradictory?
The most successful people I know do not separate their personal philosophies from business.
Characteristics of kindness, compassion, fairness, empathy, and support are simultaneous characteristics of their business and personal lives. Consequently the best people I know are the best people I judge. The most trusting people I know believe in higher powers. There is something about accountability that makes people honest.
In a scholarly article entitled “Monsters, ghosts and witches: Testing the limits of the fantasy — reality distinction in young children” the British Journal of Development Psychology ran a case study on young children. Children as young as 4 demonstrated the distinction between imaginary items (i.e. only in your mind or in a television show) but persisted in the compulsion that these items could become real. As children aged this inclination did not vanish. Children as high as 17 continued to hold on to the concept that imaginary items at least held “possibilities” of existence.
The probability and confidence of such conclusions decrease over time but never seem to completely vanish. Although I personally am a firm believer in God one could argue that traditional religion fits this metric. Regardless of whether we agree or disagree with this point statistically there is an interesting correlation between spirituality and ethics. As societies become less spiritual the ethics erode. In a paper by Philip Morgan, of University of North Carolina Mr. Morgan cited “…yet within these prevailing moral attitudes, there is ‘a golden thread of humanitarianism inspired by loving care, motivated by religion’ (Bull 93–4). From this view then, moral attitudes and behavior flow from religious belief. Religion provides a set of values supporting a larger set of norms that are embedded in systems of meaning or world views…”
The debate between religion and morality is not new. In Euthyphro, Socrates famously asked whether goodness is loved by the gods because it is good, or whether goodness is good because it is loved by the gods. According to Psychological Bulletin over half of United States Americans support the statement “It is simply impossible for people to be moral without religion or God.” (Psychological Bulletin, American Psychological Association. 2015 Mar; 141(2): 447–473).
The concept of spirituality being true or not is not relevant. What is relevant is odds show me starting ventures with people who: 1) Believe in a higher power, 2) Do not separate personal views from business views, and 3) Believe in a non physical presence to hold them accountable works out to be a more positive experience.
Seldom have I involved myself with people who meet these requirements only to be grossly disappointed in their moral character. There is a tendency since childhood to believe in entities that are not physically present. Whatever the reason for this inclination the persistence of its presence is relevant. I am an odds player. I play odds. Personally I see the most unfavorable outcomes derive themselves from people who fail to meet these requirements.
Success is positively correlated to individuals who believe something besides a human being will hold them accountable. I have seen greater success ratios with this strategy. I would implore you to seek out people who have similar philosophies. The details I find are not important (Jewish, Protestant, Buddhist, Feung Shui…) but what is important is the conviction an external force influences their actions.
Play odds well. We are all in it to see the first yield a pay check.
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About Christopher: Christopher Knight Lopez is a Professional Entrepreneur. Christopher has opened over 7 businesses in his 14-year career. Christopher’s purpose is to take advantage of various market-driven opportunities. Christopher is a certified Master Project Manager (MPM) and Accredited Financial Analyst (AFA). Christopher previously held his Series 65 securities license. Christopher also has his General Lines — Life, Accident, Health & HMO. Christopher has managed a combined 286mm USD in reported Assets Under Management & Assets Under Advisement. Christopher has work experience in 29 countries, raised over 50mm USD for various businesses, and grossed over 7.5mm in his personal career. Christopher worked in the highly technical industries of: biotechnology, finance, securities, manufacturing, real estate, and residential mortgages. Christopher is a United States Air Force Veteran. Christopher has a passion for family, competitive sports, fishing, martial arts and advocacy for entrepreneurs. Christopher provides self-help classes for up-and-coming entrepreneurs. Christopher’s passion to mentor comes from belief that entrepreneurs need guidance. The world is full of conflicting information about entrepreneur identity. See more at www.christopherklopez.com.
