by Jakub Bozydar Wisniewski
Mises.org
Monetary profit isn’t the only kind of profit, and people may do many things for psychic profit. Nevertheless, in a complex and industrialized world, monetary profit is essential in building sustainable economies.
It is relatively easy to understand and appreciate the benefits of direct cooperation. The value of familial gift-giving, mutual help between friends, and barter exchange is typically obvious enough even to the economically untrained mind. However, as social cooperation reaches ever more complex levels, its character becomes increasingly abstract, and, in intellectual terms, its proper appreciation becomes increasingly demanding.