And in understanding these, I hope to explain some few things in life:-
1. MLM(yes, multilevel marketing)/pyramid scheme/ponzi
2. why Engineers, lawyers, doctors or those who are considered as "professionals" are usually paid high salary.
3. the concept of honesty in working life.
First, as a Muslim, I believe in the Islamic way, but I think just preaching and hammering this view to others, might not be accepted or viewed wrongly, as people are diverse in their religion, background, etc.
Once, a junior engineer asked me the question in point 2, rather than telling him about Islamic view, I told him to read Adam Smith's view.
He's from UTP and so I thought my idea suits him. It turns out it bores him to death, so in the end I just kept quiet and let him think and study for himself, for his own understanding. I'm not paid being his lecturer.
So, let us refer to Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations, where the views are academic and could be accepted whatever religion you are.
http://www.econlib.org/library/Smith/smWN3.html#B.I,%20Ch.8,%20Of%20the%20Wages%20of%20Labour
http://www.econlib.org/library/Smith/smWN4.html#B.I,%20Ch.10,%20Of%20Wages%20and%20Profit%20in%20the%20Different%20Employments%20of%20Labour%20and%20Stock
I'll take excerpts here to simplify the reading :-
1. "The five following are the principal circumstances which, so far as I have been able to observe, make up for a small pecuniary gain in some employments, and counter-balance a great one in others:
first, the agreeableness or disagreeableness of the employments themselves;
secondly, the easiness and cheapness, or the difficulty and expense of learning them;
thirdly, the constancy or inconstancy of employment in them;
fourthly, the small or great trust which must be reposed in those who exercise them; and
fifthly, the probability or improbability of success in them. "
2. Honour makes a great part of the reward of all honourable professions. In point of pecuniary gain, all things considered, they are generally under-recompensed, as I shall endeavour to show by and by.......
And the most important point :-
3. We trust our health to the physician; our fortune and sometimes our life and reputation to the lawyer and attorney. Such confidence could not safely be reposed in people of a very mean or low condition.
Their reward must be such, therefore, as may give them that rank in the society which so important a trust requires.
The long time and the great expense which must be laid out in their education, when combined with this circumstance, necessarily enhance still further the price of their labour.
Point No. 3 is the answer to Question No. 2.
Not only the Professional provide product or services, the most important thing that makes it "Professional" is the confidence of trust on the Professional's skills.
The higher pay reflects the trust on the ability of the Professional.
Hence, it is vital for Professional to maintain this trust, that's why we have Board Of Engineers, Board of Architects, (I don't know for exact for Lawyers, doctors, and other professionals)
I believe in this.
That's why economic collapse mostly starts at US Wall Streets where lots of execs got paid highly without actually offering any value added product or services.
Just words, twisting around the facts, beating around the bushes.
In economy, the driving force for labour should be the product or service.
If you acquire profit, not by offering service by product, but by recruitment, then it is wrong, no matter what you say.
MLM'ers try to mix things by offering both service/product, and profit by recruitment.
It will fail.
It is because Profit by recruitment cannot be counter back by the cost of products, unless you sell the goddam product at a higher cost.
Never ever involve yourself in an arrangement where the profit by recruitment is included.
It is not only dishonest in any religion-istic view, it will crumble too.
One MLM try to deceive me by promoting me skincare products.
Their explaination of things are never straight forward, not suitable for people like me who earn a living by reading construction drawings, tender specifications, technicals specs, etc.
But I'll be surprised should any engineers got cheated by MLM, or even join one.
Please respect engineering, please.
(video above just reminiscing my childhood..people will use this video to shoot my idea above but hell I don't care)
Note : One of the reason for me to continue writing this blog in English because English is not my mother-tongue, and it takes effort for me to write and think in English. A practice that should be helpful in my line of work.
You'll see grammatic errors.
Note : One of the reason for me to continue writing this blog in English because English is not my mother-tongue, and it takes effort for me to write and think in English. A practice that should be helpful in my line of work.
You'll see grammatic errors.