Okay all you pessimists and realists, you're not going to like this, but that won't be all that surprising. EBay chairman and founder Pierre Omidyar says people are basically good, and that basic goodness is what made eBay what it is today.
EBay Explores Human Nature, Likes What It Sees
Like any good collective myth creator (we apply "collective myth" in the positive sense rather than the pejorative, if you pessimists think otherwise – hegemony has its own noble function), Omidyar focused on success stories.
Our sources at the conference readily relay Pierre's tale of a woman pulling herself out of public assistance because of the opportunity a service like eBay's offers, where the barriers to doing business are effectively laid flat.
His conclusion, then, is split into two lessons eBay has presented mankind:
Lesson 1: Business is a force for good (Again, hold your comments, he said "business" and not "corporatism," as might be your first objection).
Lesson 2: Given the right environment, people can discover power within themselves to make good things happen.
Mmmm. Excuse me a moment as I rub that into my skin and like it, hope beyond reason, and reconsider my thoughts on altruism and human nature, and ponder whether or not turning 30 has really jaded me forever. Maybe I just need more coffee.
Kagle interjects to back up Pierre, reiterating the idea that people can simultaneously "do good and be successful," an idea that inspired eBay from its roots, and that the people on eBay genuinely want to help others.
Barring a few bad apples, we can imagine, like fathers sharing their parenting skills via
That's a tall order for the Aristocracy, Pierre, but so was the idea that housewives, paupers, the physically afflicted – well, anybody – could run a proper online business with eBay. And that's working out so far…
Bob interjects again, says, eBay "brings the world together, and over time…will impact communities, cities, and even countries. And that will change the world."
Pierre was selling the idea better, but that's okay. "Third parties," says Pierre, "consumers, developers, are the ones that will lead."
Scoff all you want, he could be right – has been so far – and at the least, it's a nice battle cry.
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