how much greed is acceptable?

Discussion in 'Philosophy' started by hoboleader, Oct 8, 2012.

  1. we all talk about how we want a better world and how greedy fucks are making the world burn. But are we the men watching the world burn?

    and how much greed is acceptable.

    Obviously if your spending some free time browsing GC and you can afford an internet connection and a cell phone, and weed, your not to bad off compared to the majority of people on our planet.

    So my question is, do we all need to start being more charitable? we all like to think we are not greedy. But I think weve all been greedy in an obvious way at some point.

    But how about in a less obvious way...like the fact that were sitting around not doing shit and buying things we dont actually need?

    Whether you wanna buy that 200$ bong, or the latest cell phone, or go to an expensive restaurant, or going to a gas station and buying an energy drink thats 5$ when you would of been fine with a 2$ gatorade.

    Doing those things listed above once or twice every now and then doesnt seem like a big deal. But it over time it starts to add up.

    But i guess i just wanted to post a long thread and point out that its in our nature to keep acquiring things. Its not just get what you need (food, water, shelter, knowledge) Then start helping everyone else get what they need.

    But then again I guess you can argue that by buying things we dont need its supporting peoples income and its creating jobs. But how true is that? Its definitely partially true I suppose. Id like to get your take on all this.

    Tell me if im just ranting meaningless shit or if im making some type of point?
     
  2. How do you define greed?
     
  3. Without greed, little can be accomplished in life. You will never be successful.
     

  4. You can accomplish plenty without riches.

    You can self-educate using free sources of information. You could travel the world doing basic jobs to pay your way and gain wisdom. You can raise a family and gain wisdom through your experiences with them. You can do volunteer/community/charity work and help hundreds of kids and families.

    There are millions of people that impact other people without spending a dime and millions of rich people who have never helped a soul.

    and I'm curious how you define "success".
     
  5. We can buy what ever we want with the money we worked hard for. It's not exactly called greed. Otherwise those who are in need are too dependent on others. Being selfish for calling others greedy.
     
  6. We're not supposed to ask these kinds of questions.

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  7. Wanting far more than you NEED is greed.

    Greed - a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (as money) than is needed

    Greed - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary
     
  8. And who exactly defines what I need? Who quantifies it? Am I only allowed to scrape a living out of farm land without being called greedy? What we need to survive is surprisingly little, what we need to survive in society however...
     

  9. The word "excessive" in the definition of greedy is key.

    A desire for more than you need is not considered greedy. It's an excessive desire for more of something than you need.

    I think the question becomes why do you want all that extra money and power. Just because you want it for business expansion doesn't mean it's not a form of greed. It depends how rich you're trying to get.
     
  10. ex·cess/ikˈses/

    Noun:An amount of something that is more than necessary, permitted, or desirable.Again, this is vague at best. Where is the line between necessary and convenient drawn?
     
  11. This is a issue I struggle with in my life a lot lately.


    I am at work...but I wanted to sub to this for later.
     

  12. Well I think it's important to recognize when people desire basic comforts they are being greedy to some extent (you don't need those coforts to survive). But it's a lesser form of greed. Now people who constantly dream about having millions in the bank when there are so many poor and hungry people out there, it is a much greater form of greed.
     
  13. Isn't Greed cause by the demands of the people want to buy with money instead of what they need? If money was used wisely properly instead of selfish ways then a lot of get done but most corporations don't want to lose their money because that's what their motivation is focused on to keep their business in the top rank and not diminished.

    I love money but I use it towards the things I need before I buy the things I want, hope that wasn't a rant.
     
  14. The only thing I am greedy about is knowledge. I always want more and it's never enough.
     
  15. #16 myoung7189, Oct 10, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 10, 2012
    This is an interesting question... I feel that any amount of greed is acceptable because everything in this world is based on one's subjective view or circumstance. Why should anyone try to limit one's drive for property? I realize that some of you may say that one's attempt to gather wealth or property could cause others in the world to suffer and even starve. And no one wants that. But where would this world be without man's drive to appropriate property? We would still be living in nature fighting for every meal and hoping to survive every through every night. Currently there are a multitude of societies in the world where people still do this and it is a shame. But what can we realistically do to solve this problem? Is it really realistic for us to provide subsistence to everyone in this world?

    Fortunately for people like us who are able to use GC we have some first world comforts which have only been established through a somewhat capitalistic system which is based on greed. Greed is not a nasty word when used in a proper context. Most people associate greed with ripping people off through an unfair deal which I find deplorable as well. When the concept or drive of greed is used in a fair market place where people are able to use their labor to increase their leisure an comfort everyone benefits. Leisure is man's goal imho; without leisure we would not have time to contemplate, read, and/ or improve oneself. Greed like all things in this world neither all good or all bad.


    Edit: Furthermore, without greed whether you see it as a virtue or vice... would we even be able to be discussing/thinking about this topic? Wouldn't we be solely focusing on our survival because man would still be in nature?
     

  16. You didnt define greed. Me working my own way and spending what I earn is not greed, in my eyes. However if I were to directly or indirectly hurt others in order to achieve my wealth, that would be different. Theres a difference between the justly rich and the unjustly rich and I think that is where the line is drawn.
     
  17. Is greed just financial/material cowardice?
     

  18. The question at the heart of this is; nature or nurture? Is it really in our nature to want to keep acquiring things or do we only do so because we have been born into a world that encourages and rewards it? The natural state you describe at the end of your post almost sounds like repackaged definition of free-market capitalism. The way that I view the situation, it is in our nature only to survive because the only instincts we are born with are animalistic bases. To take it a step further, what would be the evolutionary advantage of 'acquiring things' beyond that which is immediately desirable (basic needs)? I don't think the greedy gene exists.
     
  19. I'm greedy. Obviously, I smoke weed. But, I do like to help others. Just because you were born into a lucky situation does not mean that you shouldn't help others that weren't.
     

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