Benefit for Society 1: Production

Productivity Set

■ Production is valued above Cohesion

Perspective-centredness produces intellectual goods by articulating new ideas, and making impartial inquiries and sophisticated appraisals. Any introduction and dissemination of new ideas and values automatically challenges the existing order. Indeed, anything at all beyond the boundaries of existing society will be experienced as a threat to social cohesion and culture.

… because alien ideas are easy to ignore, denigrated, and often censored. In any case, relatively few in society operate primarily intellectually.

Cause-centredness produces social activation of existing values, and keeps favoured ideas alive via vigorous promotion. It actively develops and publicizes potentially valuable reforms emerging from given ideals. Such activity is inherently divisive because some aspects of any reforms are always controversial.

Splits and divisions become evident …

… because causes highlight divisions, polarize arguments, and create factions. Conflict is inevitable, and may sharpen existing fault lines in society. Crusaders may also disrupt society by competing aggressively for converts.

Market-centredness provides for the production of high-priority goods and services. Because of the primacy of profits, efficiencies and economies will be sought. Mobility of labour and capital is desired, while taxation is detested.

Socio-economic differentiation is inevitable …

… because business success is affected by differences in talents, interests and opportunity. So inequalities develop based on wealth differentials, social winners and losers, and harm to common resources. Tensions and splits develop in society with stratification along socio-economic lines and conflict between classes as the end-result.

Moving down the productivity diagonal, speed and efficiency increases.

A social good (e.g. a new right to trade) may be articulated via Perspective-centred individuals over years, even decades, until it is at last vigorously promoted by Cause-centred individuals over months/years. When business opportunities finally beckon, Market-centred individuals can move on a matter with great speed and efficiency: in weeks if not in days.

Well-Being Set

■ Cohesion is valued above Production

On the well-being diagonal, sharing and distributing rather than producing is the focus of all mentalities.

Kinship-centred individuals must share and never turn away a member in need as a matter of principle.
Power-centred individuals must share accumulated goods to manage relationships for purely selfish reasons—to maintain indebtedness and loyalty and to demonstrate dominance.
Community-centred individuals seek equal shares in social goods and equitable re-distribution of wealth.
Reality-centred individuals take a strategic, utilitarian perspective on sharing.

Go to valuing social cohesion.

Originally posted: July 2009