An asset is the foundation of all economic activity. If you have assets, you can run a business and settle your debts. The ways to create assets are ‘how one works,’ ‘how to receive gifts from others,’ and ‘how to purchase assets made by others.’ There is a way to steal, but it is a crime. If you don’t initially own an asset, the simplest and almost the only way to create one is to produce something with your own labor. Whether the product is a service or a good, it must be produced unconditionally. Trading products creates added value. Thinking about trading later and making products first is the fastest and most basic way to escape poverty. Therefore, produce even the smallest things every day. Knowledge, records, art—whatever! - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Anthropologist Margaret Mead emphasized “fracture” as a more relevant concept than using tools as markers of human civilization. When an animal is fractured, it becomes easy prey for predators. However, when humans are fractured and unable to function, they rely on the support of their neighbors. Unlike animals, which show no evidence of broken bones and can reattach, humans leave physical marks. Notably, the birth canal of women is narrower than that of other species, complicating the process of giving birth without assistance. Thus, it is incredibly challenging for anyone to bear a child independently. This fact underscores that human childbirth inherently necessitates social interaction. Anatomically, humans have socialized since birth. While women physically bring children into the world, it is society that nurtures and supports this life. Therefore, the core and utmost value of civilization is LOVE for our neighbors. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”