As many people have said, "Money makes the world go "round." The possibility of becoming wealthy is definitely more important than risking economic security. In fact, by pursuing potential prosperity, the general tendency is that as an individual succeeds, society also will. If people create and exert well-earned entrepreneurial skills, they will better themselves, and in turn, better society. Terrific examples of this include Bill Gates, the man behind an ingenious computer program, and Anita Roddick, the woman who created an expanding line of products for the body. Both individuals set out for personal wealth, and in turn, contributed greatly to the global economy.
This concept, of individual financial success leading to collective economic success, is not a new one. In the eighteenth century, Scottish professor Adam Smith introduced some extremely critical, yet valid, ideas. Smith declared that people were guided by an invisible hand, which would naturally lead them in the direction they intended. He believed that every person has their own best interests at heart. By placing themselves first, those people will "prefer an employment which is most advantageous to society." This means that if people were to pursue their own self-interest, their actions would automatically contribute to the betterment of society. It is the independent, hard working citizens that make this theory legitimate, for no entrepreneur ever made a living by being idle.
Supporters of Social Darwinism have also reinforced the importance of personal wealth. Social Darwinism - the theory that only the people best suited to their surroundings would survive - gave rise to men such as Herbert Spencer and William Sumner. These men, along with thousands of other hard working people, believed that every human being received what they were worth. If a person exerted themselves and their skills, they would receive ample results from their effort.
