If you give a man a fish, he eats it once. You teach a man to fish, you lose a business opportunity - Group Discussion

If you give a man a fish, he eats it once. You teach a man to fish, you lose a business opportunity means that in an attempt to help others, and at times we land up giving ideas and solutions for people to grow. This way, an opportunity which could have worked for us, will be grabbed by the other person.

For:

- It is the survival of the fittest. If we land up helping people, we land up giving them a way to interfere in your success.

- When you help and teach someone, that person in turn goes and teaches the same thing to somebody else. This way you keep losing business opportunities.

- If you always land up helping others, people tend to take you for granted.

- Consider an example of someone who sells a commodity. If you land up teaching him the tactics that worked for you to attract customer, he will attract all your customers.

Against:

- It is not bad to help others. When a person is in need, you must help them.

- Most of the times, in an attempt to help others, you also land up striking a business opportunity with him.

- If you don’t help others with the fear that you will lose business opportunities, it will only make you more insecure.

- You should make yourself capable and confident enough that even when you help people, nothing should act as a road block.

- If not through you, somebody else may help. This way you not only put strains in your relations but also lose an opportunity to perhaps work with that person.

Because of the kind of environment we live in, it’s like a rat race. Everybody wants to push people behind and move ahead. We shouldn’t be discouraged to help others. But, we shouldn’t let our trade secrets out. Try not teaching everybody everything that you know.