Western capitalism is looking for inspiration in eastern mysticism
The Economist - Nov 16th 2013
IN HIS 1905 book, “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of
Capitalism”, Max Weber credited the Protestant ethic with giving rise to
capitalism. Now it sometimes seems as if it is the Buddhist ethic that
is keeping capitalism going. The Protestants stressed rational
calculation and self-restraint. The Buddhists stress the importance of
“mindfulness”—taking time out from the hurly-burly of daily activities
to relax and meditate. In today’s corporate world you are more likely to
hear about mindfulness than self-restraint.
Google offers an internal course called “search inside yourself” that
has proved so popular that the company has created entry-level versions
such as “neural self-hacking” and “managing your energy”. The search
giant has also built a labyrinth for walking meditation. EBay has
meditation rooms equipped with pillows and flowers. Twitter and Facebook
are doing all they can to stay ahead in the mindfulness race. Evan
Williams, one of Twitter’s founders, has introduced regular meditation
sessions in his new venture, the Obvious Corporation, a start-up
incubator and investment vehicle.
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