In my opinion a great deal of what is wrong with the world we live in can be laid at the door of the approach that some people choose to adopt to exchange.
As Robert Louis Stevenson once said: “Everybody lives by selling something.”
We all survive and try to prosper by transacting goods, services and favours for money or for other goods, services or favours. Each transaction involves an exchange. But how many truly involve fair exchange?
“Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”
– Mark Twain
Supply and demand theory
Supply and demand theory dictates that, in a genuinely open market scenario you can, on the whole, expect fair exchange to prevail.
Unfortunately, though, not every transaction or exchange takes place in a completely open and transparent market – and, thanks to some unscrupulous people, unfair exchange is widespread.
Value perceptions
So what is fair exchange?
It’s about there being a healthy balance between give and take. It’s about ensuring that all parties to a transaction feel satisfied that they have received fair value for what they have given.
By this you will gather that fair exchange is not something that can be scientifically computed. Whether an exchange is fair or not depends on the perceptions of the transacting parties.
In transactions conducted by entities such as corporations or governments things become more complex. Not only the transacting parties but all stakeholders in the transaction need to perceive fair value.
Natural abundance vs scarcity
If, like me, you believe that there is a natural order of abundance on earth, then it makes sense that there should be no incentive for anyone to deviate from the principle of fair exchange.
The problem stems from a widespread scarcity mentality.
In other words, the mentailty that reasons: “There is only so much to go around and if I cannot secure at least my share, someone else will get it and I could end up with nothing”.
Self perpetuating
The scarcity mentality leads to a manipulation of the natural order and an artificial imbalance, which becomes self perpetuating as greed (the desire to have more than one really needs) sets in.
The polarised ‘have’ and ‘have not’ society that results spawns criminal elements that engage in corrupt dealings and even the complete antithesis of ‘fair exchange’ – outright theft.
A simple solution
A simple (yet immensely challenging) solution to the many problems we experience on earth is for all of us to adopt an abundance mentality and promote the concept of fair exchange.
When you have an abundance mentality, you start to attract everything you need. You give freely in the knowledge that what goes out comes back. You start to live a life characterised by fair exchange, others become influenced to respond accordingly and the world becomes a better place!
Relevance to life coaching
At New Insights we teach the principle of fair exchange to our trainee coaches, primarily for three reasons:
– We want them to appreciate the intrinsic power of this concept and to promote fair exchange in all their dealings with their clients.
– We want them to understand that they should never undervalue themselves or the service that they offer.
– We know that when two parties are in a win-win relationship, they will go to great lengths to protect, extend and expand that relationship – so it’s good for them, good for business and good for society.
At the heart of it
At the heart of the principle of fair exchange is a principle that all the great teachers on this planet have attempted to impart to us.
Treat others the way you would like them to treat you!
Article by Bill Burridge.
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