Ubuntu.

I was talking today with someone about the different virtues Western societies promote compared to non-Western societies. In particular what came up regularly was the idea of isolation common in capitalist societies - the idea that a person's value is demonstrated by how well they can stand on their own two feet without the support of others.

The thought behind this is that a person's self-worth is more inherently valuable to the society when that person can survive and provide within their own means. They do not drain from the others around them, and are therefore not a liability to the societal economy. This is well evidenced by the value we place on economic-based milestones through early development; first bank accounts, pocket money, mandatory tax file number registration at high school. Most people consider moving out of their family's home to be the equivalent of a coming-of-age rite. It's when we get to feel like a Big Person.

Right now.

My lovely wife bought me a magazine yesterday, a periodical devoted to entrepreneurs and management-type people. It has key points on the cover like "Learning from the young rich" and "Motivation is the key to success". Bono's there with his weird glasses looking out of place with the corporate blue backdrop and non-rock'n'roll typeface floating around his head.

I've read more than half of the articles in the magazine now, and all of them seem to have the same premise, a familiar one I find in a lot of business literature;

You want money now.
I've got money. I can tell you how to get money.
It's a spiritual thing. It's a people thing.
You should do what I do.
And here's an advert for what I'm selling.
This is how I do it. You should do it like this and make money now.

Thing is, a lot of these guys have good ideas I agree with. Great ideas. Common sense business ideas that no matter how many times they are reiterated with catchy slogans ("The attitude that matters is gratitude!"), people forget them. So what's my problem with this style of advice? Two things!, one small and one not-as small.