Most of us get continuing appeals to “give back” to charity or to the community with the implication that it’s our moral obligation to do so, and if we don’t, somehow we are unsupportive of humanity in general, and our neighbors in particular and should feel guilty about abstaining.
The concept “give back” means that I am returning something that does not belong to me – that what I have received I did not earn and that I am merely returning it to its rightful owner.
I earned what I have
On a personal note, my partner and I used to have our own business. We prided ourselves on providing the highest quality of unique products and services to our clients. Our people worked hard, and we personally trained members of our staff. We were a value-driven company. The results were an expanding national presence. Thanks to using our our minds to create quality products, to taking risks, to high standards, and to constant improvement, our company was very successful. My partner and I are self-made people.
It is important to note that we did not take anything from anyone. Rather, we offered quality products and excellent service in exchange for payment. And many people were delighted to pay for what we offered. We earned our money through free, voluntary trade. For all parties, there was value given for value received.
You might say “But you and your company benefited from society and therefore you should share your good ‘fortune’ (a.k.a. results of months and years of burning the midnight oil) with the community.” You might also say “You benefited from public roads and public schools.”
But the public roads and public schools are paid for by taxpayers, and my partner and I paid taxes, as did our parents. No one gave us anything in that regard. And we have not taken anything. We earned our money fair and square.
True entrepreneurs
In general, those true entrepreneurs who have become rich have earned everything through voluntary exchange, simply giving value for value received. By true entrepreneurs, I mean those who receive no government franchises or subsidies, no bailouts or guarantees, and who do not advocate or support legislation or licensing requirements to stifle competition.
They made money, and in some cases lots of money, but they earned it honestly. They didn’t steal or defraud anyone. They took personal and financial risks. They created lots of jobs and as such generated livelihoods for hundreds if not thousands of families. They invented things that didn’t exist, and made products and provided services for which customers paid market prices.
Everything they got was through free exchange and voluntary contract. They paid their bills and debts in full.
To insist that those who have earned their money should “give back” is an inversion of morality. To “give back” means it wasn’t theirs in the first place and ignores the fact that the creation of wealth through private initiative and voluntary exchange does not involve the expropriation of anyone’s rightful property.
“Give” instead of “give back”
When people such as myself donate to charity, we do not “give back.” We simply “give.” We give that which is rightfully ours to keep or to give or to spend as we see fit. To say that we should “give back” is to deny us the credit we deserve—both for having earned the money in question and for having chosen to put our money where our values are.
I am proud of what I have accomplished, and do not feel the least bit guilty about the money I have earned or how I spend it.
I and others like me should not be thanked for “giving back.” Rather, we should be thanked for producing values and making them available for trade. And when such people give money to charitable causes of their choosing, they should be thanked simply for giving.
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As you are probably aware, many discussions on this topic are sometimes unfriendly and contain logical fallacies. If you decide to leave a comment, or even outside of this post, if you decide to have a discussion, public or private, you might find it helpful to follow the suggestions on my post How to have a successful discussion.
Photo/image credits
- Giving back to the community: John Davis.
- Value exchange saying: John Davis
- Buying with Visa card: energepic.com on pexels.com.
- Storefront: Artem Beliaikin on pexels.com.
- Dog with thank you note: Howie R. on unsplash.com.