I agree. Which type of story resonates more with would-be entrepreneurs? The "I want to help others via my business" story, or the "I hate my crappy job, and want to seek what I perceive to be happiness via my own business" story?
I'm not saying that you can't have a mixture of both, or transition from one motive to the other, but most people's first thoughts are about themselves, others tend to come afterward. We are afraid to admit this in public, but I think we can all agree it exists.
So what's wrong with seeking personal happiness first? Does that preclude you from being more altruistic later in life? If you can put others' needs first, more power to you, but that doesn't make those who cannot worse people.
Very good points. To which I'd add, happiness is a social contagion. Happy people make people around them happier. They are nicer, more generous... they give more to charity. Etc. etc. etc.
But woe be unto the selfish, lazy person who seeks personal happiness. Somebody out there is ready to school him/her on what he/she really ought to be doing!
I'm not saying that you can't have a mixture of both, or transition from one motive to the other, but most people's first thoughts are about themselves, others tend to come afterward. We are afraid to admit this in public, but I think we can all agree it exists.
So what's wrong with seeking personal happiness first? Does that preclude you from being more altruistic later in life? If you can put others' needs first, more power to you, but that doesn't make those who cannot worse people.