This I agree with.
> That's an immutable fact of human nature. Even cradle to grave propaganda doesn't change it.
This I disagree with. Past societies saw far more social cohesion at points than our modern one. Especially on certain smaller scales, people were more willing to assist one another in the act of remaining alive without being compensated financially.
For instance- many people now think it would be unreasonable to help a friend move without some form of reward (money, food, etc.) This sort of value exchange for reward would be considered disrespectful in many past cultures and even some present cultures. Unwillingness to work without immediate reward not an immutable fact of human nature.
> Unwillingness to work without immediate reward not an immutable fact of human nature.
Yeah, it is, as no society has managed to make that work as an organizing principle. Even the Israeli kibbutzen have failed. Altruism rarely extends beyond family and close friends, and even then, it isn't reliable.
Of course, if you're too cheap over too long a period, people may stop doing favors for you.
I’ve never thought about it this way before, and it’s a pretty profound quote.
For example, we still don't know if the workers who build the pyramids were slaves or freemen. Kind of a big deal for that society.
Nobody has found a better way, though they often try.
> "The economy" is in reality a giant standoff where every member of the standoff would just stop maintaining society unless they get paid for it.
That's an immutable fact of human nature. Even cradle to grave propaganda doesn't change it. It's much better to swim with that current than against it.