What is commercialism and how does it manifest itself?

Mercantility as a human trait
Mercantilism is a human trait that is expressed in prudence, often petty, when a person too often and unreasonably wants to make a monetary profit at any cost. Also, a mercantile person is characterized by stinginess, self-interest, and such people can be too practical. Words close in meaning to the concept of commercialism include love of money, greed, acquisitiveness, selfishness.

The word commercialism is of French origin, and in the 18th century it was not as negative in human understanding as it is now. Several centuries ago, the mercantile system meant the expansion of a country's foreign trade activities at the expense of other countries.

It was only in the twentieth century that this concept began to take on a different meaning. Mercantile people began to be called certain people who were stingy, tight-fisted, calculating and selfish.

Commercialism is something, something bad

The word “mercantile” is translated from French and Italian as “ selfish ”, “mercantile”.

This is the name given to a personality quality based on petty prudence, stinginess and practicality, the desire to gain benefits in all areas of life at any cost.

The explanatory dictionary is rich in impartial synonyms for this concept, which vividly convey and complement its meaning:

1. selfishness;
2. trade;
3. love of money;
4. self-interest;
5. acquisitiveness;
6. covetousness.

Commercialism is the desire (sometimes even unconscious) to benefit from any life situation, expressed in a huckstering attitude towards everything, including spiritual values.

The concept of “mercantilism”: where it came from and why it remained

This word initially did not have such an impartial connotation. It came to us from Europe in the 19th century and had a purely economic meaning. First in England and then in other European countries, the system of mercantilism , based on a superficial understanding of a successful economy, became popular.

All attention was concentrated not on production, but on trade and money circulation, especially on the movement of gold and silver. Trade in all variants was encouraged, including intermediary: it was not considered shameful to buy cheaper in one country and sell at a higher price in another. In general, a complete “buy and sell”.

This system gradually became obsolete in the economy, but by the beginning of the twentieth century the word “mercantilism” acquired a different connotation and entered into everyday use. How did this happen?

1. Despite the fact that such a quality is traditionally condemned in Russia, many from childhood receive basic parental attitudes based on satisfying their needs at any cost. Example: a mother inspires her daughter that a happy marriage can only be with a prince who will arrive on a white horse produced by the German automobile industry.
2. The realities of the modern market system do not contribute to the development of altruism (what is it?): commercialism often becomes a tool without which it is difficult to achieve noticeable results.

The modern definition of the concept of “mercantilism” is associated with trading, which has nothing to do with economics and finance: the “merchant” approach penetrates into all significant spheres of life.

Meaning of the word selfish

Examples of the use of the word selfish in literature.

Still warm from the sweaty bustle of the day, the selfish running of Anemone through his radiant dirty deeds.
But it is not difficult to follow the path of altruistic egoism and help others for the selfish goal of receiving help from them in return.

This accusation appears to be fundamentally correct: the former Bolshevik Andrikanis approached the matter of implementing Shmit’s inheritance, of course, with selfish personal goals, trying to snatch for himself as large a share as possible.

She, as already noted, had her own selfish views on Herod and the Arabian king, and therefore persuaded Anthony to entrust Herod with the war with the Arabians, counting on the fact that if Herod wins, she will get Arabia, and if he is defeated, she will get Judea and thus she will prepare the death of one of these two rulers through the other.

How long,” Bukin angrily clarified, “will you, Comrade Pekovsky, shamelessly use your official position for selfish purposes, which you occupied solely thanks to nepotism and protectionism?

Although no, Zamukhryshka admitted that Natalya and Valdemar had a selfish motive, but even he, with all his hatred for his successful rival, said that the killer Valdemar was useless.

But they are defenseless, they are the property of several thousand such Wolkensteins, who use them for their own selfish purposes.

Illegal collection or dissemination of information about the private life of a person, constituting his personal or family secret, without his consent, or dissemination of this information in a public speech, publicly displayed work or the media, if these acts were committed out of selfish or other personal interest and caused harm to rights and legitimate interests of citizens - is punishable by a fine in the amount of two hundred to five hundred times the minimum monthly wage, or in the amount of the wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of two to five months, or by compulsory labor for a period of one hundred twenty to one hundred eighty hours, or by correctional labor. labor for up to one year, or arrest for up to four months.

Everywhere in each special settlement, arrest facilities were created, where migrants of all ages were imprisoned for no reason, and often for personal selfish reasons, kept there in unheated rooms, naked, for several days and without food, where they were systematically beaten and subjected to all kinds of torture, which led to a complete decline in the physical activity of special settlers and deaths.

They fast in plain sight, commit fornication in secret, and are selfish, but they keep the people in the monasteries fortress, and give money on interest.

Gavrila with Tomila and the neighboring townspeople immediately wrote a new message to the sovereign - a message about the outrages of Fyodor Emelyanov, about the self-will and selfish indulgences of the governor Sobakin and about the outrages committed by the governor’s son.

But improving appearance involves not only these exercises, but also other elements of behavior that, at first glance, have nothing to do with appearance, in particular, the renunciation of careeristic and selfish aspirations.

Why people join the Brotherhood is clear to everyone: mainly for selfish and careeristic reasons.

Our task is to tirelessly take care of the purity of the party ranks, to reliably protect the party from random people, those who join it for careerist or other selfish reasons.

Oleg, like us, did not belong to any of the groups of sex activists and made an easy acquaintance with two Leningrad resort girls just like that, without, as they say, selfish goals.

Source: Maxim Moshkov library

Is mercantile good or bad?

Despite the unattractive connotation of the concept, commercialism to one degree or another is characteristic of almost all people . We do not live in a fairy-tale world, but in conditions of fierce competition, where financial situation is not the least important. There are no more goldfish in our reservoirs, old Hottabych has retired—we have to rely only on our own strength.

In the struggle for well-being, it is important to feel the fine line that separates healthy pragmatism from pathological commercialism.

Total mercantilization begins where the material side of life and the personal sphere (friendship, love, mutual assistance, etc.) begin to be approached with the same standards, becoming a kind of mercantilistic merchants from the 19th century in relations with friends and loved ones. Simple human feelings and emotions are perceived as “consumables”.

A mercantile person: who is he and how to recognize him

Mercantilism itself is a tradition of the Western world, therefore in Europe there is a special look at the concept of “mercantile”; the meaning of the word here does not have a negative connotation and indicates that a person is economical and practical .

This points to its strengths rather than its weaknesses. In Russia everything is different. Here, a mercantile person is an unreliable person who is ready to do anything for the sake of obtaining material gain.

In Orthodoxy, this quality is one of the most serious sinful passions and is defined as the love of money.

How do you understand that a person’s commercialism goes beyond reasonable boundaries ?

1. He puts the principle of “bash on bash” at the forefront; the very possibility of performing gratuitous actions is swept away. Selflessness is denied in any form.
2. There is an obvious inability to show warmth towards others. In the personal sphere, techniques are used that are appropriate in commerce (merchant approach in the negative sense of the word).
3. People around them are assessed based on their well-being, the social circle is formed only from successful and wealthy people, in which there is no place for “simple hard workers.”
4. There is an increased interest in other people's financial situation.
5. Conversations are dominated by topics of money, benefits and financial difficulties.
6. The desire to hoard has no boundaries; life is built on the principle of “money for money’s sake.”

A pathologically mercantile person often masks this personal quality with economy, the desire for professional improvement and providing a comfortable life for children - aspects approved in society.

Details

Signs of commercialism

Signs of commercialism include a person’s constant desire to find a job with a higher salary, because he thinks that his work is not paid enough.

Also, a mercantile person primarily evaluates the people around him by their financial condition, and not by their internal qualities. From such a person you can often hear complaints that he does not have enough money.

Also, mercantile people often do not know how to take care of other people, they may lack empathy, warmth, and warm feelings for another person, and providing free help is unnatural for them.

A mercantile person in most cases is not capable of altruism and nobility; first of all, he looks for how to benefit from everything.

Such people are characterized by selfishness; they mostly discuss money issues with their acquaintances, while being thrifty in all matters.

The disadvantage of commercialism includes the limited interests of a person, the difficulty of finding a loved one for marriage or friendship, because it is difficult to be friends with a greedy person. Mental disorders can also be identified, and management by principles of money for the sake of money.

It must be said that commercialism can also have positive aspects in a person. For example, out of 5 people prone to commercialism, two or three will be hardworking and punctual. They don't like to waste their day doing nothing because their own time is valuable to them. They know how to say no to relatives or colleagues when asked, and they have an entrepreneurial spirit.

Also, people who have commercial traits are aware of economic news, love a luxurious life, and for this they work and overcome obstacles.

We can say that, in general, commercialism is a negative trait, but it also has positive aspects. A mercantile person is a person who strives to make a profit for himself by any means.

How is female commercialism expressed?

Recently you can often hear the concept of female commercialism. So what is this, a myth created by greedy men or losers? Or is this concept justified?

In our society, it is customary to call women mercantile who are looking for a wealthy man as a partner. But is this really so? For example, men and boys always look for a beautiful girl for a partner, and do not always look at her inner qualities. Men pay attention to well-groomed women who take care of themselves and have ideal shapes, beautiful hair and eyes, and a sweet smile.

At the same time, men forget that in order to look perfect, a woman must invest a lot of financial resources. To look attractive to men, a woman uses different beauty recipes, which require time and financial resources. Also, men may lose interest in a woman if they see her with a mud mask on her face and epilating her legs herself. After all, they think that all this happens by itself.

If we consider it normal that men pay attention to beautiful women, then it is also normal that a woman pays attention to a man’s success.

Therefore, for most women, it is not the sense of commercialism that plays a role, but the desire for a stable future, a calm and prosperous life for themselves and their children. It is normal for a self-sufficient person to strive for the best. And with commercialism, there is usually no place for feelings, the main thing is to gain profit.

This means that a mercantile woman is one who always seeks benefit for herself personally; first of all, she thinks about self-interest. And if a girl evaluates the prospects of her partner, what achievements he has in life, this is simply pragmatism, not commercialism.

And men tend to call all women mercantile, even those who simply show practicality and prudence. Although women value a man's character and self-confidence, men feel more confident when they are financially secure.

Also, a truly mercantile woman cannot give warmth, care and kind deeds. Such a lady may not be very smart, and her interests are limited to the money issue. She may complain about her financial difficulties, and is looking for someone who will solve them because of her.

Commercialism manifests itself in the fact that a person is guided only by calculation, and not by feelings of practicality, and the main issue becomes obtaining benefits, even if this comes at the expense of feelings and emotions, that is, for a person, his own self-interest is above all.

At the same time, women often just want to create a stable, strong family, where there will be a stable financial situation for her and her children. Here they are guided by common sense. Of course, money cannot buy happiness and love, but living in a hut and raising children is not an option.

Women, men and commercialism

It is believed that women are more materialistic than men . Let’s not listen to the accusatory speeches of representatives of the stronger sex and look at this topic, discarding moralizing glasses: everything is quite understandable.

To fulfill her gender responsibilities (in other words, having children), a woman requires certain conditions and a reliable partner. This is inherent in it by nature as a protective mechanism necessary for the reproduction of healthy offspring.

In the wild, no self-respecting bird will acquire chicks in the absence of a nest and a conscientious male who will provide it with an uninterrupted supply of bugs and worms for the period of incubation of eggs.

The notorious commercialism of the fair sex is a genetically designed program for the survival of a woman and her offspring (we are not talking about hunters for big money - that’s another story).

Genetics is supported by history: for a long time a woman did not have the opportunity to provide for herself.

Her well-being directly depended on a well-chosen partner, be it a brave hunter who regularly supplied mammoths to the family hearth, or a hereditary nobleman. The age-old memory sits firmly in the female subconscious - this is serious and for a long time.

Commercialism today is not a purely feminine quality; men are also guilty of it , and this is not always associated with professional activity. The girl is beautiful in all respects, but it is better to clarify her place of work, availability of living space, financial capabilities and useful connections of her parents... a situation that has become commonplace.

Is there anything good about commercialism?

Even among people who, by their nature, can conduct training on the topic “How to make money on anything,” it is generally accepted that commercialism is not the best quality. Let's try to look at this from a different angle: this trait also has positive sides .

1. Mercantile people are not inclined to indulge in idleness, value their time highly and do not waste it. They know first-hand what time management is and do not suffer from procrastination (what is it?).
2. Many representatives of this “army” have an “entrepreneurial spirit.” They not only complain about the lack of money, but also know how to earn it.
3. Willy-nilly, such people are aware of the latest economic and political events: their hand is always “on the pulse”. They know that devaluation and redenomination are not diseases, and default is not the name of a city in France.
4. It’s hard to call a mercantile person a weak-willed rag: he has a strong character and knows how to say “no.”

Commercialism cannot be called a quality that adorns a person, but it has components that are worth taking note . Healthy pragmatism will be useful for those who are unable to manage personal finances wisely.

The palette of life consists not only of black and white, it is full of other shades. You shouldn’t talk about commercialism as a universal evil or consider it the only way to achieve success.

A small amount of healthy pragmatism will be useful, but we must not forget: a person who is mercantile to the core is capable of making a successful career and getting rich, but love (what is this?), compassion, and sincere friendship will most likely pass by.

Author of the article: Tatyana Koroleva

How to understand that a person is selfish

Recognizing a social parasite is difficult, but possible. There are several typical behavior patterns of selfish people :

1. Weakness and an imposed feeling of pity, causing disgust and the desire to do all the work yourself. Too much admiration for your personality, incessant flattery. After some time, it becomes impossible to refuse the manipulator.
2. Active praise, eternal admiration and belittling of one’s own Self. Conscious understatement of one’s status so that you can look better in comparison. Such people easily sit on the neck.
3. Dominant behavior of the best, most beautiful and charming person. His entire appearance and even his gaze screams “You are my servant.” Many give up and obey the orders of such a manipulator. The main thing is to ask yourself whether I really want to do this.