A Comparative Advantage in Individual Collaboration

 

Soichiro Honda (1906-1991), the founder of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., was a junior high school graduate known for his free-spirited personality, and he has left behind many famous quotes. One of his most notable quotes is, "Each person should devote all their energy to their greatest strength, giving generously to others, while having others compensate for their weaknesses. This should be the basic principle of moral education." This quote exemplifies Mr. Honda's personality well. It is akin to the principle of comparative advantage in economics, which suggests that under free trade, each country should export the goods at which it excels (advantageous) and import the goods in which it is less proficient (inferior). In other words, it is as if this principle were applied to individuals, likening them to countries, and connected it with the fundamentals of moral education: individuals dedicating themselves to their strengths and mutually complementing each other. This encapsulates the essence of collaboration.

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