Man as a Social Being

Men are Social Beings

The model of human beings used by many economists is one that assumes men to be radical individualists whose only objective is to maximize their own individual self-interest. Although this image of man may be useful for the purpose of economic modelling, it is strongly inadequate for professional managers who have to govern real human beings. One way why this model is inadequate is because man is not a radical individualist; man is a social being who can only survive, develop, and achieve ultimate fulfilment by living in society and cooperating with other human beings.

Aspects of Fulfilment of human beings.

1. Acquisition of knowledge and skills (this can be developed to a limited extent by the individual himself but can be fully developed in accordance with their potential in large communities).

There can be no personal growth independent of the needs of the people around us. Due to these reasons, man is said to be a social being, and the purpose of using this expression is to point out that he cannot find fulfilment in isolation or if he restricts his concerns to the pursuit of his own narrow individual interests.

• Close Interpersonal relationships

Having relationships of mutual love is an essential element of human fulfilment, and not being involved in any such relationship is a very great handicap: a person who loves nobody and is loved by nobody is somebody who just does not care what happens to anybody else; that person is truly alone. An indicator of the importance of such close relationships for our own fulfilment is our general experience that when we share our projects, ideas, and joys with others, they become much more meaningful for us, and we enjoy them more.

According to research, there are several benefits for people who have strong relationships; a stronger immune system, a longer life expectancy, fast recovery from surgery, and a lower risk of depression. One’s decisions (including professional decisions) are essential for the development (or shrinkage) of one’s capacity to love people. The point made in the preceding paragraph is important because perhaps the greatest occupational hazard of managers is precisely that by concentrating too much on their professional objectives, they may come to see other people more and more just as means to attain those objectives.

• Community

A community is not just any assemblage of people. Basically, a community is created when a group of human beings are:

1. Are committed to attaining more common objectives
2. Each of them feels a sense of commitment and obligation towards the others such that the effects of his actions on them are a significant consideration that he considers when making decisions.

A human group is a human community as a matter of degree. It is essential for a man’s development and fulfilment that he gets involved in strong communities.

• Business Organizations as Communities

In a business organization, everyone (including shareholders and employees) is ultimately concerned with their own interests. It is important to get good pay and a good position, but also look for an organization that matches your value statement.