Greed
We're all familiar with Michael Douglas' performance in the film Wall Street, as Gordon Gekko exclaims: "Greed is Good!" This phrase is also heavily associated with American economist, Milton Friedman.
I can't help but notice the discrepancy here: Greed is good but it is also a Cardinal sin? Not that I believe that Catholicism doesn't have it's own flaws, but it is not inherently faulty in it's ideology.
Greed is equated with selfishness; overindulgence; exceeding the need of which is necessary...
I would argue that greed is the primary reason for all of the problems this world is facing. Greed of power, of money, of resources, of status...
We as humans are constantly overindulging ourselves and stepping on whoever we can to get what we want. Nothing is ever enough. We need large expensive homes to fill the void. Yet, oddly enough once someone has their five story home just short of a castle, their five sports cars, their summer "home" on their own private island in the caribbean, a dozen servants, etc...more times than not, they find themselves alone. They can surround themselves with all the things they want, just hoping to fill that void, but they've stomped on too many people to get there for anyone to stick around.
The void grows. And we'll do anything to fill that void. We're scared of the void. We hate the void. We'd do anything to rid ourselves of it. Betray. Trick. Manipulate. Lie. Hurt. And even kill.
Just to be clear, I'm not talking about basic survival. I'm not even talking about standard luxury. We've gone way past that as a species. We want more. We don't care if genocides, epidemics, starvation, or denigration has to happen to get it. We've become unnecessarily ruthless. We could easily get by with much less than we have. But nothing will stop us from getting more.
I question this. Why? Isn't there enough on this planet to sustain us peacefully? Can "survival instincts" really apply to the overindulgence of our desires? Why have we become so materialistic? Individuality is suppose to be a strength for ingenuity and creativity not selfishness and greed.
We've been told that greed is good to keep us in submission, brainwashed, and quiet. Look around you if you don't believe me. Doubt the concept for only a moment and you'll see reality: Greed is not, and will never be, good. It benefits only those who enact it and arguably it doesn't even really benefit them. It may give them their material wants and desires, but emotionally it is very damaging. It creates an environment that is full of hate.
If you think a world of hate is "good" then you're only fooling yourself. In psychology it's referred to as a rationalization, not inherently bad but can be when it's used inappropriately: e.g. GREED.
So what can we do about? Learn to love yourself. Work toward becoming self-actualized. That may sound idealistic or more recently referred to me as "avant grade" (as if labeling is the most important issue) but whatever it is it'll make you a more content person. A person who is content in the heart, soul and even the brain. A person who understands the self can manage growth and development.
To be clear love yourself doesn't mean develop a narcissistic personality disorder. It just means, you need to learn to love yourself before you can truly love another person. Not love as in lust or the need for mirrored gratification, but love in which the need is overcame by the want to love someone. If you can accept that you want, rather than need (or not need), then your nothing can change your mind. Not even the temptation of greed. Basically, love yourself and the void will disappear.
If you believe that my asking for you to love yourself sounds ridiculous. Far enough. But please, at the very least ask yourself WHY you've become to think this way? Challenge your belief. In the end if you're right back where you started either you were right, or you're talented at fooling yourself.
This is my plea to humanity.