Greed

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Human beings are communal creatures. We gather in tribes, raise families, and largely have monogamous relationships. If there is a biological basis for greed (to oversimplify, a "greed gene"), then I think the miser would have poor relations with the rest of the community (perhaps being an outcast) and be largley unable to pass on his genes.

So I pretty say that sharing has been essential to the survival of the species. Remember in nature, survival of the fittest is not "looking out for yourself, screw everyone else," it is more like "look out for yourself and people genetically similar to you (i.e. your family and tribe)."

 

Hey, I figured if the spelling was good enough for Norton....

You're using slightly flawed arguments. Describe the taste of salt without using the term salt. Can't be done. I can come up with useless items to throw in an argument, too. Your examples of love and hate are quite ridiculous (especially since they are defined by six to eight words). Simple concepts don't really take that many words to define. Excessive desire fits greed perfectly. Face it, you just didn't think about all the ramifications of your statement and when you used a personal, vice well accepted, definition of greed.

 

@T2B:
Well, I was 14 at the time. And for the record, my teacher bought it hook, line, and sinker.

Some of you people just don't understand the value of a good line of bull****.

 

I guess WE were chasing OUR tails this time.

 

Re: greed - I'm young, but I remember the 1980s and the entrepreneurs who lived by the maxim "Greed is good" well enough. I also remember how many people's lives were ruined by it and them. A desire to succeed is probably a good thing. A desire to succeed at all costs is not.

Rally's comment about the Seven Deadly Sins is spot on - they all have an element of virtue in them, which is what makes them so dangerous.

Again, I'd dispute that. Ambition is about a desire for something - there is no inherent moral element to it as a concept, only in its application and the methods used to achieve it. However, this is well-trodden ground and both of us are agreed that ambition is necessary for humankind (although I think it's seldom as altruistic as you seem to be suggesting).

 

Did the cave man freezing in the ice age need fire? Bet that you and I wouldn't be here today if someone hadn't taken some back to cave with him. If that is greed I'm all in favor of it but I don't think it is. Just common sense.

 

Wonderfully said. If common sense (and perhaps a little intelligence (heat=good)) is greed, then by all means, greed is good. But it is not. It is, as the dictionary definiton says: excessive desire (and usually in regards to wealth).

 

Holy ****! Although, if I keep running my mouth, everyone will find something to agree with...

That sounds more like what I was trying to say...

Nakia: I believe Greed begins where need ends. The Caveman needed fire, and he needed some meat to eat. Greed looks to excess of what you need. It goes back to what Rally said about the seven deadly sins. They are taking a need to the excess. You need money to get what you need to live, but greed is wanting too much money. You need to eat, but eating too much is gluttony. The same with rest and Sloth, or natural sex drive and lust.

 

Saber put it well. Greed is disgusting. Capitalism is based on greed and hence the problems we are facing (not like we wouldn't face different kinds of problems in a different configuration). I don't believe the society has any duty to uphold the greedy people's desires, which equally includes corporate sharks and repartitioners of worldly goods. It's a normal thing that people want comfort, even luxury. Want a secure future and something to leave to children. It's normal that they want their businesses to prosper. But it's not a healthy desire to have more than your neighbour or to prevent people from rising to your financial level or repeating your success.

 

Going along with what was said before about people being communal creatures, my definition of greed includes at its base the garnering resources that you do not really need at the expense of the needs of others in the group. Looking at it that way, greed would never be good for humanity as a whole because at its heart it involves damaging other humans.

 

Gnarf:
I must disagree, but only with the last part of your post. There is a space between need and greed where the fulfilment of desire causes no detrimental consequences. The cavemen dind't need fire, they had lived without it before, but using it didn't hurt anyone, so go ahead.

 

NOG: So you suggest that there is a gap between need, and greed? That gap would likely be rightful desire. You do have a point.

Chev: You are right. I had labeled it as Pride. Pride involves being better than someone else. I guess that Greed is the emotional demand to have more than someone else.

LKD: I guess that's also part of it. Wanting more than you need or can enjoy, while not necessarily good, is not as bad as wanting it at the expense of those that need it or could enjoy it more than you...