“I can live well alone!” is not correct. If I live alone, I can survive to some extent, but ultimately, it is hard to survive, and “living well” is even more challenging. This is because the economic principle is established not by ‘alone’ but by ‘many people.’ If I live well, it means that someone has become poor because of me or is living well with me. The fact that through value exchange, or transaction, we can meet each other’s needs and store the surplus from that production is both true and real. Trading is not done in isolation. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
One reason for the Dutch’s wealth was the strong trust between the merchants and sailors responsible for trade. Captain Willem Barentsz failed in 1596 while attempting to open a northeast route to the Far East via Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic Ocean. An accident occurred in which 8 out of 18 sailors died after being trapped in glaciers at temperatures of -40 degrees for 8 months, marking a setback for the development of a new maritime route. However, the captain and crew did not disturb the cargo, and on June 13, 1597, they split into two small ships and escaped the glacier. Fifty days later, they were rescued by a Russian merchant ship. Captain Barentsz died on the journey home, but the crew returned the consigned cargo to its owners intact after getting home. Trust means taking your life as collateral. Business is built on this trust. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”