Can Morals and Ethics hold up in a Free Market? Real life crypto example says, YES!
As much as I would love to create phenomenal content, 24/7, for all of my followers, I find myself reading more and more content from the people I follow, and even find myself in the new tags of specific topics trying to find diamonds in the rough. I enjoy reading other peoples experiences and I try to soak up as much new, pertinent information as I can. I feel it's the only way to improve my understanding of other peoples perceptions and realities. What I really love to come across though, are acts of kindness, generosity, and integrity.
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So when I came across this post the other day, it made my heart smile. If you're unfamiliar with a crypto called MANA (Decentraland), it is a VR world where you can buy parcels of land (just like you would in real life) and do what you want with them. Lots of possibilities in the near future, imo, with VR and being able to do anything you could do before, but in your underwear at your house. Go play some black jack at the Decentraland casino, go see a movie, go to the zoo, or even just be a land broker and buy and sell parcels to other people. There will be lots of activities to do, all while sitting on your couch at home.
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So what happened here that made my heart smile? Read it for yourself straight from Decentralands mouth:
Good news in the community
A few weeks ago, a LAND owner accidently sold two parcels of LAND for $2.50 USD each simply because of a misplaced decimal point.
There was a lot of discussion about this on Discord, and as a result we’re updating the Marketplace to prevent others from making the same mistake.
However, when the seller came forward on /r/decentraland, one of the buyers stepped up and returned the parcel.
Thank you PeterD for your honesty! We’re lucky that the Decentraland community is so supportive, collaborative, and welcoming, and we hope that these attributes continue to grow alongside the metaverse.
Someone accidentally sold a parcel of land for 2 dollars and 50 cents. A far cry from the $2,500 they probably thought they were getting, all because of a missed decimal point. I've been told by many people that without a functioning government to protect us, unscrupulous people would always take advantage of these types of situations. But alas, we have proof on the contrary. Sure, PeterD could have kept his parcel for the $2.50 he paid for it. It was now his and confirmed of the blockchain. The seller had no way of getting it back, unless of course PeterD did what he did, and sent it back.
According to that post, there was one other parcel that as far as I know, has not been returned to the seller for whatever reason. Maybe they don't know the sale went through, maybe they're on vacation, or whatever...hopefully they do the right thing when they realize the mistake.
A fellow Norwegian I have been following for quite some time shared his thoughts in the comments section and they mirrored mine to a T... @scandinavianlife said:
Great work
"However, when the seller came forward on /r/decentraland, one of the buyers stepped up and returned the parcel."
To be honest, this type of honesty is what I think most people in this space is trying to display. In a free market everything reflects back on you - it's your responsibility. In a non-free market you just join the darkside and lose your moral code because "every one else gets away with it". Why should you be the only one with moral values.
I love it! Moral integrity in a free market is of uber importance. Once word hits the street that you are an unscrupulous business person with loose morals and bad ethics, you won't last too long. This is just one example of everyday people having their moral integrity on the forefront. Imagine if PeterD was nasty and said "no way, I made this deal fair and square!". Sure, he technically did, but I would gander most of the community would not be happy about his decision and he would have a hard time making any new friends. If he did this to this guy, what would he do to me?
I love and enjoy seeing people do the right thing, simply because it is the right thing to do and not because they are after fame or accolades. So good on ya PeterD! You are a shining beacon, and a perfect example of how we should treat others the way we would want to be treated.