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Introspective Economy

This page is also available in: Italiano (Italian)

Introspective Economy

(Estimated reading time: 2 min, 40 sec)

What is the introspective economy?

Classical economics analyzes economic systems. It studies the relationships between the subjects of these systems.

But we don’t see that we have our inner economy. It’s made up of parts of us that are in conflict with each other. Managing these parts is like managing a household.

Thus, just as we speak of the household economy, we could also speak of the individual economy.

However, we use introspection to analyze this economy. So, we could call it introspective.

"The Crocodile": acrylic on canvas. Aurora Mazzoldi. Inner parts to manage through introspective economy.
“The Crocodile”: acrylic on canvas. Aurora Mazzoldi.

Too high a price to pay

If we want something, we have to pay a price for it. It may not be money. But it costs us something. We have to work hard, to give up something, to fight against something, someone, or ourselves, to develop a strategy…

Aristide loved to write and travel. He was a smart boy, and in high school he got good grades in all subjects. But he didn’t like drawing, and he studied math and physics just to maintain a good average in school. Instead, he enjoyed history and geography. He wrote articles for the school paper. His English teacher told him he was a born journalist.

Aristide disliked things that were too easy and wanted to achieve hard results. He wasn’t interested in being a journalist; he wanted to be an architect.

He attended the Faculty of Architecture where he had enrolled. Although he had no major problems, he was not interested in this study. But he agreed to study and take exams just because he had to if he wanted to become a famous architect.

Lack of introspective economy

He never asked himself what his work as an architect would be like after graduation.

Will he enjoy spending most of the day making drawings, searching for the right materials for his constructions, and doing mathematical calculations?

Would he really like to build buildings?

He never asked himself if he wanted to:

  • Be an architect and play that character.
  • Work as an architect and appreciate his work.

There was a lack of introspective economy. He had failed to compare the price to pay:

  • doing an uninteresting job
  • being a journalist, with the pleasure of writing and traveling.

Which part of himself did he prefer?

Part of Aristide will enjoy being a public architect. It will also enjoy having succeeded despite the difficulties. That part of him would not feel fulfilled as a journalist.. But other parts of him are not happy:

  • Devoting a large part of the day to a job he finds uninteresting.
  • Giving up writing.
  • Giving up traveling and interviewing people to find out what’s going on.

Aristide has made life difficult for himself. He will have to mediate between his parts, trying to please those who are dissatisfied. He will also have to maintain the enthusiasm of the part he has satisfied. But as time goes on, that enthusiasm may diminish more and more. That’s too high a price to pay.

Management of internal resources

A company, if it wants to be productive, must know how to manage its resources well. The same is true for individuals. They must know how to manage well, whether external or internal resources (self-management). Aristide’s external resources will be the best if:

  • He’ll get a good degree.
  • He will have enough money to open an architectural office. His father is a well-known manufacturer in the construction materials industry.
  • He will have enough knowledge to develop a client base in a short time. But he does not satisfy some of his inner parts, and this will reduce the success of his future activity. Is this a case of inefficient management of his internal resources? — of his talents if we want to refer to the Gospel of Matthew?
Introspective economy. A child manages his resources (coins).
Source: Leonardo AI

Careful introspection, based on economic principles, could clarify the situation. It would provide a key to the best management.

Luis Pisoni

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