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The Minimalists
The Minimalists are Emmy-nominated Netflix stars and New York Times–bestselling authors Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. Alongside their podcast cohost, T.K. Coleman, this simple-living trio helps millions of people eliminate clutter and live meaningfully with less. Learn More.

The Problem with Corporations

A lot of people think I’m anti-corporation. I am not.

I don’t think corporations are innately bad or evil. Corporations—large ones in particular—are inherently problematic, though, because their primary objective is, by definition, to make money.

There’s nothing wrong with bringing in revenue—I’m certainly not allergic to earning an income—but when it’s the central focus, which it has to be for a large corporation, then the wrong lines tend to get real blurry real quick as the bosses’ collective feet are held to the fire.

I’ve seen it too many times—an upstanding, respectable person ignoring his values, bending his ethics, and exhausting his moral gas tank just to aid the bottom line. (I know, because I did it myself in my corporate days of yesteryear: that’s why I left.)

Bending one’s principles in the name of profit or capitalism is not celebrating the true nature of capitalism at all.

A small business or individual, however, can earn money while their main focus is on something more rewarding—be it creating, innovating, growing, or cultivating a passion. So, yes, I’m wary of corporations—but I’m heartily supportive of the people who work for them to feed their families.

Read this essay and 150 others in our new book, Essential.