Weber theorized that Calvinism fostered the Protestant ethic of hard work and asceticism and that Protestantism was an important influence on the development of capitalism. Calvinism is rooted in the concept of predestination, which means that before people are born, some of them are selected for heaven and others for hell. Nothing anyone does in this world, Calvinists believe, can change this. The Calvinists consequently were eager to find out whether they were among those chosen for salvation. Worldly success—especially the financial success that grew out of strict discipline, hard work, and self-control—was regarded as proof that a person was among the select few. Money was accumulated not to be spent but to be displayed as proof of being among the chosen. Capitalist virtues became Calvinist virtues. It was Weber’s view that even though capitalism existed before Calvinist influence; it blossomed only with the advent of Calvinism.