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Acquiring wealth allows people to have more leisure time. This is not generally a point with which people would take issue. Wealth allows people to not work as much since they have reserves on which to fall back. Further, wealth allows one to pay others to perform tasks that one would otherwise have the onus of performing. Likewise, wealth, or the pursuit thereof, spurs innovation in that one must trim costs by being more efficient or design new products that have marked advantages over the predecessors. However, wealth, and the pursuit thereof, is not the only, or perhaps not even the best method of achieving success for the commons.

Based on the above assessment of the benefits of wealth, one could say that being successful necessitates acquiring wealth. Let us reconsider this proposition.

Greed, in this case considered as the pursuit of excessive wealth, will not be addressed beyond saying that we shall not acknowledge greed as being a noble trait, and certainly not a desirable trait. Capitalism can be said to be based upon an innate greediness of people, but we shall instead view it as being based on the desire to become successful by having greater amounts of leisure time. This desire for greater leisure time might actually be what some consider to be greed.

Being successful, that is, maximizing one's leisure time, does require that only one criterion is met: we must devise new methods of meeting our needs that require less time for completion than our existing methods. Success for the artist -- one who generally would not consider being more efficient at his craft to be a blessing or a measure of success -- would be measured by the amount of time he has to commit to his art. Success for the philosopher would also be the amount of time the philosopher has to commit to his thought.

Being successful then can be achieved by sharing knowledge. By sharing knowledge, one is able to advance not only those around him, but himself too. One receives the criticisms, recommendations, and constructive feedback to one's ideas that then advance the collective knowledge of society. Through this shared knowledge, we are able to be more innovative by advancing technology. Through technology, we become more efficient, and therefore have more time to devote to our pleasures.

The drive for success would then be the key to advancing society; not greed nor capitalism. When knowledge is shared, everyone then has the chance to be more successful. When wealth is acquired, only one person sees the immediate benefits; and, through the acquiring of wealth, one must take from the wealth of others, thereby diminishing their ability for success.

When knowledge is shared, everybody wins.