Egosystem vs Ecosystem

From Ego-System to Ecosystem: Reinstating the Golden Rule of Community

No matter what your cultural origins, you probably grew up hearing the importance of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you, a truism commonly known as the Golden Rule. Away from the adults, you might have heard another interpretation: he who has the gold, makes the rules. Although everyone aspires to the high-minded definition, what we often experience is a world in which altruism is seen as a weakness and material success celebrated as the only worthwhile investment of our time and energy.

One way to look at the results of these differing interpretations is to describe the outcomes as an ego-system versus an ecosystem:

An ego-system is structured to satisfy shareholder wants and to privatize decision-making. Financial capital is valued above other contributions, costs are not fully disclosed and transactions lack transparency.

In the ecosystem, all stakeholders are committed to the shared wellbeing of the community. All forms of capital are valued, all costs are considered and transactions are transparent.

So, how can you move a community from an ego-system to an ecosystem?

As Otto Scharmer states in his article From Ego-system to EcoSystem Economies “What’s really needed is a deeper shift in…