I wrote a comment on Karen Sugarpants’ wonderfully written post entitled Maybe This Isn’t My Place to Say
Go ahead, go read it. It’s not too long.
Back? Ok.
In my comment, I talked about greed, the more salient points included here:
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People reap what they sow. The sooner that’s realized the better. We cannot coddle and take care of the lazy and greedy without paying the price. Within a generation or two we’ll have no worthy soldiers due to our eating and exercise habits and we’ll be bought out and destroyed by our enemies.
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Greed is wrong on all sides. I think the difference in the politics comes down to how one defines greed.
Earning something is not greed. Taking something that’s not yours *is*.
Bankers who fleece their customers and use predatory practices to make money are employing greed. So are fat and lazy people who expect the government to provide food and entitlements.
I don’t know what’s worse: greed combined with aggression or greed combined with apathy.
And now I feel that I want my own blog post on this subject. I had written before on Spending and Greed (long post) and while my goal isn’t length, it’s kind of on the same subject.
I have so much in my head right now on the topic of greed, I fear that if I write it all down, I’ll have another lengthy post no-one wants to read. So I’ll sum it up, and ask if you have anything to add.
- Greed, in my view, is taking more than you need.
- Notice that I said “taking”, not “making.”
- Being wealthy does not equal greed.
- Wanting what is owed to you is not greed.
- Wanting something that is NOT owed to you can be greedy.
- People who take from others what is not rightfully theirs is greed.
- In #5, those “People” can be just about anyone, from savings and loan managers who divert funds to themselves, to talent agents who funnel their client’s money into their own accounts, to people on welfare who could otherwise work and make a living.
I think that greed has been around since there were humans and greed won’t go away. However, it seems the apathy we display is relatively new. Only since we had automatic appliances and processed foods and electronic gadgets and robotic assistants and government entitlements and sloth-inducers such as TV/games do we really actually risk having a society that cannot take care of itself.
And I don’t mean the day-to-day social self-reliance… I mean actually being able to fund an army with suitable volunteers. How long will it be before our 18-35 year olds are either too fat, too lazy, too apathetic or too “empowered” to serve?
How do you define greed?
Great summary. And I think you spelled out some good points.
Greed to me is a selfish push, without any concern for anyone else, to gain not just money, but power, control and dominance. It’s being at the top, wishing and hoping that everyone below would be low enough and poor enough to control and have power over.
To me, that’s true greed. Some people may have some greed to them, but if it doesn’t control their every move, thought and action, then it’s just temporary in their path of life in getting what they are aiming for.
martymankins´s last blog post..Scooter Sunday #25
I think your definition is “spot on.” No, really, I do completely agree. I also appreciate how you differentiated between wealth and greed. I think a lot of people often attempt to conflate the two in order to alleviate their own lack of ability/ambition.
Faiqa´s last blog post..From the Party That Gave You the Term "Flip-Flopper"
I really think you summed it up very well, and MartyMankins added to that. I am scared to death of the world my grandkids will live in – if I was young, I doubt I’d start a family in this world today.
Sad.
Tug´s last blog post..Prettiness
I agree that being wealthy does not equal greed, but I have seen some pretty crooked business practices in my community that I’m positive are lubricated by money… still you are mostly right on. Too many people have been given too much without working for it and they think they are entitled to keep getting it. My means are pretty limited but I live within them and nobody but me is paying my way.
Nobody fixes anything anymore. They just throw it away and buy new, and this includes people who can’t afford new. Thrift has become a dirty word, and that’s just wrong. When I buy something nice at a thrift store, I’m proud of myself for getting such a good deal, and I don’t see what’s wrong with that. I’m kind of sick of defending that viewpoint.
marilyn´s last blog post..Manic Monday: Leaf
I don’t know why, but I feel this strange urge to tell you that Democrats don’t hate people who make money.
Ahem.
ANYway…
Greed is taking your dream at the expense of someone else’s. It’s the idea that there isn’t enough to go around, so you’re going to make sure you get your share and then some – regardless of the consequences to anyone else.
Taking vs. making more than you need is irrelevant. We ALL have more than we “need”.
Miss Britt´s last blog post..Declare Yourself
Well said, I wish my brain was better functioning so I could add something substantial but the DayQuil has taken that dream.
martymankins, thank you for injecting the non-monetary aspects of greed. I had stayed mostly on the wealth aspect, but you’re right – it encompasses much more. Greed can also involve fame, food, laziness and more.
Faiqa, That is such a great comment, especially about the lack of ability/ambition part. And great use of word “conflate”!
Tug,
Maybe the more time-consuming thought exercise of the day would be – if you could go back to when you were young, what would you do differently?
marilyn, great point on thrift! I still go to garage sales every month or so just to save money. You don’t have to defend your viewpoint with me!
Miss Britt, Democrats don’t hate people who make money?!?!?!? Say it ain’t so, Joe!
I like the “regardless of consequences” part – that strikes true. But taking vs making is NOT irrelevant. Whether we have more than we need is what’s irrelevant.
Robin, The DayQuil dream catcher. Got it.
Greed is wanting the whole cake….and the icing….and licking the batter off the spatula and out of the bowl….and not even caring that the kids are looking at you and wanting just a taste.
metalmom´s last blog post..What Smells?
My first instinct is to say ‘not get married so young’…’loan my brother my car so he didn’t end up on that motorcycle’.
Truth be told, nothing. I am who I am (hello popeye?) because of each & every choice I’ve made…and I’m ok with that.
(OK, maybe recycle more would be good?)
Tug´s last blog post..Different view of berries
I think you summed up my definitions of greed pretty well.
Greed is jealousy, envy, entitlement, narcissism, and lust all rolled up into one furious ball.
It’s also destructive.
Sybil Law´s last blog post..Thursday Ramblings
where are the lolcats?
metalmom, you forgot “and taking your neighbor’s cake”. What you described, to me, is heaven. Well, except for the kid part. In heaven, the kids have their own bowl.
Tug, Hey…. didn’t you use this comment somewhere else? Are you recycling your comments?!?!?!? (seriously, tho, awesome answer)
Sybil Law, I *hate* furious balls!
Raganator, probably later this week. Oh, and thanx for portraying a good example of LOLgreed.
You described it much better than I ever could have. Well, unless you count how my cat, Oliver, will continue to meow whenever I go in the kitchen (where his kitty treats are) in an attempt to talk me into giving him more treats, even when HE JUST HAD SOME.
Evil Genius´s last blog post..I’m the New Meth