One often hears that modern youth are entirely mercantile people. This word came to the Russian language from French, where mercantile means "mercenary, mercantile." Is the accusation really true and is this a dangerous phenomenon? Let's try to analyze.
By definition, mercantile people are those who will not do anything "for no reason." In everything they see their benefit, and if it is not there, they are not interested in the matter. But prudence in personal relationships is usually perceived extremely negatively. That is why mercantile people are so unpleasant to us. This is felt immediately, they are cold and do not know how to sympathize. They do not care about the state of the interlocutor or partner, it is important for them to get what they want from him. But if in business relations this is the norm, and it is rather inappropriate to show personal sympathies, then in family and in friendship mercantile people are most often those whom they say "on their minds" and with whom they try to avoid communication. Why it happens? The very meaning of the word "mercantile man" carries a negative charge. After all, none of us wants to be perceived as an object, as a source of satisfying someone’s desires, even if someone close to us or relatives treats us like that.
And although the world rests on the principle of "you - to me, I - to you", that is, on the exchange of services and goods, normal human relations, sincere and warm, are necessary for spiritual comfort. You cannot buy respect, love, or real support. And what does a "mercantile" person mean? This is the one who translates all communications into the category of “commodity-money relations”. He sorts people into “useful” and “unnecessary” - of course, for him. He evaluates them only by what they can give him, and most often - in material terms. Unfortunately, mercantilism is a kind of spiritual and spiritual problem of the era of capitalism. Nevertheless, he should not be confused with enterprise. Rather, it is prudence, coldness, the commercialization of personal relationships. If entrepreneurship, a business spirit are perceived by us positively, then the word “mercantile” clearly has a negative connotation.
Can this phenomenon be resisted?
After all, young children are already studying consumer attitudes towards parents. Then trade relations begin in the family - the child no longer wants to do anything simply of his own free will, and requires payment for everything. In some families, it reaches the point of absurdity when even doing the lessons is financially rewarded. It seems that in order to eradicate mercantilism - and more precisely - to prevent it from developing, one should teach little people sympathy from childhood. It is necessary to direct their thoughts to the fact that human relations, emotions, the joy of communication are priceless. And that really can only reward the word "thank you", said from a pure heart. After all, mercantile people are essentially alone: accustomed to taking, they do not know how to give. They suspect everyone around them of the same thing as they themselves sin. That is why it is difficult for them to trust anyone, they have no close friends, and families are often destroyed. True personal relationships can only be sincere. This is exactly what should be taught to the little citizens of the world so that they grow up happy and harmonious.