Consumers, Pigs, & the Scarcity Mentality
02. May, 2010 
3 Comments
By Greg Fullerton
In Killing Sacred Cows, financial revolutionary Garrett Gunderson details the differences between consumers and producers.
Producers produce more value than they consume, while consumers take more than they produce.
Producers enjoy an abundance mentality; consumers suffer from a scarcity mentality.
As Garrett writes:
“Because consumers focus on what they get instead of what they give, they avoid responsibility, they depend on others for their happiness, and they rarely create real value…They think there isn’t enough to go around, so they should get what they can before it all runs out. They take and leave nothing in place of what they take.”
So there’s a parable about three consumers who are told by a genie that he’ll grant any wish that they want.
The first consumer says, “I don’t have a pig. I would really like a pig.”
The genie waves his wand and *bing!*, a pig appears.
The second consumer says, “I don’t have a pig either. I think that’s a great idea. I’d like a pig, too.”
*Bing!*, he gets his pig.
“And what would you like?” the genie asks the third consumer.
“Well, those two guys have pigs, and I don’t have a pig. My wish is for you to kill their pigs.”
So often in life we’re so worried about killing everybody else’s pigs, rather than being inspired by what people do and building something great.
When we’re immersed in the scarcity mentality, it’s easy to become jealous, envious, and covetous. We resent it when other people succeed.
We feel adversarial, rather than cooperative. Our worldview dictates that life is a zero-sum game, so we frantically seek to hoard as much as we can.
To quote Garrett again,
“[The scarcity mindset] robs us of hope, steals our dreams, presents us with supposed evidence for living small and treating others badly, and renders us impotent, despite our infinite potential to create and make the world a better place.
“In a world of possible freedom, joy, abundance, and service, a scarcity mindset cripples us and aids us in seeing not much more than limitations, suffering, poverty, and selfishness.”
Don’t worry about what other people have and you don’t. Focus on what you have, then leverage what you have to increase your production.
Cultivate an abundance mentality by feeding your mind. Seek to build other people up, rather than tearing them down to make yourself look better.
By so doing, you’ll help to create a more peaceful, prosperous, and free world.
This is so true, and something that needs to be kept under control. We all have the ability to behave in a way that is not in anybody’s best interests, but it is how we allow ourselves to act (or react) that determines who we are. I taught my children at an early age that if I did not enjoy their company then they would not enjoy mine. Don’t be around those who behave in a way that is not acceptable to you or your values. You are, the company you keep.
I agree wholeheartedly.
I sometimes express my philosophy as
“The greatest expression of strength is the up-lifting of others”
and I often tell my friends and colleagues:
“If you want to soar like an eagle- don’t flock with the turkeys”…-:)
Great article, Greg. Thank you for your contributions to the personal development of many. Come back and visit Hawaii soon. We miss you, brother. Aloha ~ Steve