OSI Scholarship Essay

Objective Standard Institute Entrepreneurial Living: How to Profit in Business and Life Scholarship Essay

9 January 2021

*Thoughtfully, share what you want to get out of the course and how you think you will use the knowledge you gain from it? (Answer must be 100–500 words.)

Leftists say that money does not buy happiness, yet I find that they are often not very happy themselves. The truth is that money represents value, which is the ability to enjoy one’s life as one sees fit. A starving person becomes very happy when they receive money because they can then buy the food they need. The problem with many people is psychological. Their world views prevent them from being happy, even in a world that is more prosperous than ever!

It is difficult for them to notice happiness at the margins because they are surrounded by prosperity. On the other hand, I was in prison, so I noticed value at the margins. In prison, a person’s standard of living is miserable. For example, the food is horrible, yet I noticed entrepreneurs who sold home-made taffy, using Ramen noodles as currency. A prisoner’s standard of living increases much more when they can enjoy that piece of taffy, than if a leftist goes out to eat at a restaurant because the prisoner does not take value for granted as the leftist does.

My introduction to entrepreneurship started in prison by providing loans for two weeks at 50% interest. Leftists would call me evil for doing so because I made a substantial profit. What they do not understand is that interest rates increase in a risky market. I only charged the market rate. If I charged less, I would not have been able to make any money due to those who defaulted on their loans. If I could not have made money, I would not have provided the service. If I would not have provided the service, many people would not have been able to enjoy value when they wanted to enjoy it.

I am not in prison anymore, but I crave the enjoyment of knowing I am making the world a better place. I can best improve the world by being an entrepreneur and providing value. I would like this scholarship because I want to know how to fulfill my mission in an unfamiliar world outside of prison. I want this scholarship because I want to become a better entrepreneur.

*This essay succeeded in getting the intended scholarship. I would like to thank my lost love Sarah for introducing me to this opportunity.