Do you ever wonder how successful businesses can be used as a force for good? Do you sometimes feel conflicted by the principles of capitalism? Do you wish to change the world around you whilst doing what you love?
In his book, Compassion Inc., Gaurav Sinha, world-class businessman and entrepreneur, outlines the economics of empathy for life and for business. Here is an excerpt from the first chapter, titled Incorporating Compassion
You are on a fool’s errand if you expect the world to change around you unless you actively participate in influencing the change you seek and lead by example. This applies to countries, corporations and consumers. The true compass of compassion is powered by a purpose beyond profit that embraces principles of sustainable prosperity, tolerance and harmony. You only transmit what your antennae pick up, so tuning your frequency to the channel of compassion is the first step towards making the planet a better place.
These are contrarian times. No, I am not about to present a series of dystopian views, but I think any pragmatic analysis of the current state of affairs across the globe will give anyone reason to be very concerned. There is a lot going on in the world today and for the first time in human civilization we know there is a lot going on, in real time. From the mundane to the monumental, literally everything we need or want to know is at our fingertips. All this information leaves us in a state of pixel-obsessed permanent anxiety.
Twitter storms by the President of the United States hit the airwaves daily, sending stock markets spiralling out of control. Most media’s sensational banalities seem like a new religion, and partisan views and opinions convey raw hatred and dogmatic thinking even among the refined and educated. We are educated, but not enlightened. We are liberated, but not liberal.
They say politicians are the same the world over, promising bridges even when there are no rivers to cross, but today many politicians mostly profit by polluting rivers that feed our villages. I think you get my point about corrupt governance. We now have a world predominantly mired by characters playing to their own end-games – from the Italian who loves bunga bunga parties, the rogue African autocrat whose wife’s extravagant obsession with new shoes is no secret, the indulgent Asian strongmen who siphon off money from sovereign funds, a polarising president who denies the existence of global warming, the communist dictator with a passion for rockets, to a battalion of incoherent yet sadly impactful ruffians running amok to fulfil their own agendas. From party leaders to party-poopers, they are all playing their games. Do they exemplify benevolence and integrity?
A barrage of bullets spews across a concert, killing hundreds; civilians are carpet-bombed in the Middle East; a volcano vomits ash over an Indonesian island, displacing thousands; an earthquake kills hundreds in Mexico; a tsunami pummels an Asian coastline; many die as terrorists plough through pedestrians … we watch all this on the news, quickly condemning the culprit or circumstances, and then just as swiftly shift our attention to ‘Like’ ridiculous posts on social media by popular celebrities.
We oscillate between passive sympathy and intellectual redundancy within seconds. Civil society is shaped by the strength and virtue of worthy conversations that drive collective consciousness towards matters of significance, but today impulsive spurts of abbreviated opinions seem to be the modus operandi of even presidential personalities.
Borders are closing, trade agreements are being ripped up and promises of walls being built rally applause. Big banks brought global economies to their knees a decade ago, and now global stock markets surge to all-time highs; and we have forgotten who bailed out these organisations in the first place. It’s amazing how quickly we forget – the commerce of capitalism could quite easily be defined as immaterial gains in a materialistic world. The mission of profits at any cost leads to mass redundancies, the news of banks and other large corporations making job cuts across the world to meet quarterly targets is something we are well aware of, yet we continue to deposit our money with them as we have no other viable alternative. Our personal economies are held hostage by institutions that want more of everything, at any cost.
European countries are dealing with a wave of immigrants; nationalism, racism and liberalism collide and confuse people as populism hijacks humanism. This is a conundrum of corrupt conclusions, where compassionate minds are considered weak. Given that we are planning the first human expedition to Mars, I would imagine that accommodating and integrating refugees from one continent to another should be cause for celebration, not riots.
The world is changing, perceptions are shifting, consumers are evolving, and this book will ensure your business keeps up.
