What Ancient Wisdom Teaches about Sex and Business: What’s the Cost of Sex in Business and can 21st Century Entrepreneur Afford It?

Of the great philosophers, Socrates, 470 – 399 B.C., Considered by most scholars to be the first major philosopher of the Western civilization, reflected on the world of business and sex. Socrates gives us a possible answer to the epidemic of sex scandals in our country and reasons why so many that are becoming highly successful are becoming out of control in their daily lives.

In Socrates systematic examination of restraint, rationality, resignation, or calmness in an individual’s behavior in response to events, he exposes values, and beliefs that often governed ancients and yet mirror our own attitudes in this present generation. He looks into the inner soul of man to reveal what future events might be our destiny, as we place current pleasures and happiness above the future good of our business and everyone we care for. Interestingly, Athens at the time of Socrates was a center for international trade and a truly international society, similar to our own position today. Businesses were flourishing and profits were great.

Their multicultural cosmopolitan city had come out of a community defined by narrow and distinct local traditions and values. Socrates’ study into business ethics and management and his perspective that business cannot be separated from the responsibility of the individual to society, was usual at the time. He expressed the concept that profit went beyond the monetary value earned, and embraced that internal satisfaction went beyond human needs and wants. Socrates also advocated both men and women pursue the respectable calling of management. He advised that good managers have moral excellence as a core component to ground their business philosophy. His philosophy was narrated to the citizens at a time when another group, the sophists, conveyed a philosophy that there was no such thing as right and wrong, or that right was declared by the group and or individual who was the strongest.

These and other teachings of their time eroded the traditional values and teachings. So what might you ask does that have to do with sex and the business person or entrepreneur in today’s world? Socrates warns that as a person becomes wealthier and more powerful he/she often indulges themselves in vices. The vices start out small but as they indulge in the vices, they can escalate and become an uncontrolled hunger. As the desires grow the unethical individual finds only temporary satisfactions and they look for more or different pleasures. Socrates points out that this vice harms not the mind, but the will and sense of satisfaction, and feeling of desires having been met.

Where most people would feel a comforting sense of contentment from their new found wealth, money and power, this individual will experience distress to the degree that the compelling desire will cause the person to lose his/her ethical character to satisfy their growing desire for their vices. Socrates implies that the person goes from being a master of his/her thoughts and desires, to becoming a slave to them, much as present day people become addicted to gratifying their desires. As with drugs and alcohol, sexual desires and the quest for greater profits at any cost can trigger a free fall where the individual no longer has control and he/she cannot fight the battle of these intense desires. The more they give into their self-interest, the more they are at the mercy of their vices and their desires.

The consequences and their actions result in breaking of promises and need for more and more deceiving behaviors. This usually ends in moral dilemmas and the loss of fame and fortune. The person ruins their careers and lifelong dreams. They are shamed in public disgrace by the media, and usually lose their family in divorce. They chanced jail or prison because they became unscrupulous when their vice clouded their perceptions of how to advance and achieve their goals ethically. Is it possible in today’s world for successful business and professional people to keep their credibility, and valuable reputations, and careers suffering from the great damage due to involvement of sex and their business life? Why are our mayors, governors, and other political figures, who are paid to represent us, are getting more coverage for their sexual exploits and their illegal quests for money, than for helping to solve our pressing city and country problems? Could Socrates have the secret to the problem that faces each of us as we seek to become successful in our businesses?

Can fulfilling of our goals and dreams as businesswomen and men, entrepreneurs, and network marketers, be done while letting us keep our moral ethics intact? I believe we can! Good business does not hurt others. The people we are and our future depends on each of us looking at the big picture. We need to keep in mind that all we do and say is constantly being watched and evaluated by those around us. Our reputations and our integrity can be built over time with conscious effort. It should be our greatest goal to develop our virtues and minds to allow us to enjoy the fruits of our labors in a spirit of gratitude. Sadly, over the years I have watched many talented men and women start out great. They had high ideals and goals but they started letting their vices come between wisdom and good of the company, their families, and society in general.

They destroyed both their goals and businesses. Their selfish desires killed or damaged their companies causing others who worked hard to help them grow the business to also lose their dreams. It does not happen over night, but as Socrates pointed out the mind is no longer in control and feelings and desires win. I challenge you whether you are successful or whether it is your desire to become a great businessperson, entrepreneur, or home based business owner to set goals and include what your values and moral ethics are also. What is it you want to stand for? How much dignity do you wish for yourself and your business? What vices are you willing to give up or watch out for on your quest for success? All people make mistakes, but good people try to think of the cost. This makes them mindful of what could get them off track and what would keep them moving in a positive direction.

They think of those who depend on them and what effects their actions and decision might have on them. The truly great leader is mindful of the big picture. They know others are always watching. They know their influence can help others in developing not just a good life and lifestyle, but a good mind set for their business ethics. News programs, newspapers, and news magazines seem to bring forth daily the latest victims of these vices, people, both young and old, who have not set limits to what is enough in their life. They have gone past what level of happiness would make most people more than comfortable, but they don’t seem to care. They forget what is really important and lose all that is really important in life in the process. They become scorned and ridiculed and often no longer care what the rest of the world thinks. Where will you stand in your own eyes, in your family’s eyes, in the eyes of those who need a great example of what excellence in business looks like? Do you have what it takes to STAND UP TALL?