Greed

[INSANE CARZY GUY]

1st off i think greed is a major flaw in the U.S.(not everyone here).


Why- I am bringing up greed is because, a have a powerpoint/speech/essay to do and there isn't a lot about greed online and if how i give a speech causes me to be docked random points(WTF I was the loudest speecker and i was docked points for being quite)I figure someone could help me. But i am trying get info not how to do it


so think of it like this.
1.What causes greed
2.how does the greed in powerful people affect everyone
3.How to stop it
4.something helpful


I think greed has caused gobal warming, war,the poor's problems and A blind path of suffering because the one being greedly keeps getting (money or power or land or etc.) forgeting everything but that good feeling of whatever they get and hurting everything in the way. which is true for everything I stated above.

good links

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0820-09.htm

http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0719-01.htm

http://www.personal-development.com/chuck/greed.htm


discuss or whatever(sees jerk in near future, even if I opened some minds and asked for help)

 

[KrazyGlue]

1. Greed is caused by someone wanting to have or keep (often unnecessary amounts of) something and won't share with others

2. Doesn't really make sense. Could you reword it please? If you meant why instead of what, then I would say it's partially because people with more power have more ability to get what they want, but then they continue to be greedy and take from more people, until eventually everyone has been effected. But it's partially just the fact that those people get noticed more due to their prominence in society.

3. It's human nature. It can't be stopped.

4. The proving grounds isn't the place to get help for your presentation. It's a place to debate. I'm sure you'll get plenty of information just by reading people's posts instead of blatantly asking for it.

 

[¯\_S.(ツ).L.I.D._/¯]

1. Greed is caused by anybody wanting to have a lot of a certain thing and keep it to themselves.

2. If you did mean "why," then it's pretty much because the powerful people obviously have more power, which they can abuse if they're greedy to take advantage of less important people and gain more and more power and more and more of whatever else they want.

3. I agree with Krazy, I mean everyone's greedy sometimes.

4. What Krazy said, don't come here to ask for help, come here if you want to debate.

 

[INSANE CARZY GUY]

It's human nature to lie, cheat,start wars, and to in short sin. But some or many(i don't know how many) people don't do these things or support them. Take me I used to lie and start fights about small things a lot and it worked for a long time but it caught up to me and in short my dad or me helped me stop. The same is true for other people.

So one of 2 things 1. it is possible to stop like other problems 2.We must remove a part of everyones brain. Both should work, but removing part of someones brain is never good.

thanks for posting

 

[KrazyGlue]

It's human nature to lie, cheap,start wars, and to in short sin. But some or many(i don't know how many) people don't do these things or support them. Take me I used to lie and start fights about small things a lot and it worked for a long time but it caught up to me and in short my dad or me helped me stop. The same is true for other people.

So one of 2 things 1. it is possible to stop like other problems 2.We must remove a part of everyones brain. Both should work, but removing part of someones brain is never good.

thanks for posting

1. Not everybody can be given one on one counseling to "remove" that part of their thought process.

2. Greediness can not be "solved". It's a part of us just as much as any other trait is.

3. As much as we may think we have moved past some of these things, we are still subconsciously greedy. You may do something greedy depending on your mood and not even realize it until later.

 

[¯\_S.(ツ).L.I.D._/¯]

It's human nature to lie, cheap,start wars, and to in short sin. But some or many(i don't know how many) people don't do these things or support them. Take me I used to lie and start fights about small things a lot and it worked for a long time but it caught up to me and in short my dad or me helped me stop. The same is true for other people.

So one of 2 things 1. it is possible to stop like other problems 2.We must remove a part of everyones brain. Both should work, but removing part of someones brain is never good.

thanks for posting

Everyone is greedy.

People are greedy to different extents though. It is human nature to be greedy, but I know some people that really aren't very greedy at all, and I know some people that are very greedy, so for the people on the extremely greedy end of the spectrum, it'll be harder to stop their greed, and it may be impossible.

It might not be possible to deal with it all, and even if it is, not to a large extent, like I stated above. It's not easy to cure a part of basic human nature.

 

[INSANE CARZY GUY]

True but I can choose not to fall into the circle, Thanks to what self controll I have. And if everyone was taught this at a young age then couldn't that stop some of this?

 

[KrazyGlue]

There are plenty of kids without parents or any formal education. There are plenty of kids who can't be taught this. And of course there are those who will be greedy no matter what they are taught.

 

[INSANE CARZY GUY]

without being taught they can't become successful and everyone else wouldn't be greedy so it should be sharing time with little kids and if you were dumb and greedy all you could do is rob a bank and get shot

 

[Skrah]

Greed can be good, if moderated. Maybe greed was a wrong word for that. Ambition is more like it. You can't achieve anything without ambition.

A way to "solve" this would be to simply teach our children to be humble. Teach them to set a goal to reach, but also teach them to be grateful of what ou have and to be moderate when it comes to power and money.

 

[INSANE CARZY GUY]

I like how you put that. I can't disargee. But greed is a want of _____ and ambition is the I can do it feeling but i know what you talking about

 

[KrazyGlue]

Ambition isn't bad, but by using the word "greed" you aren't leaving any possibility of it being positive. The definition of greed is someone taking more than they need and not sharing; there aren't any situations where it can be good.

Greed definition: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greed


I also still maintain my view that greed can't be "solved". It's as futile as trying to solve lying, cheating, stealing, etc. Do you think all the people who ever lived that lied, cheated, and stole were never told by their parents to avoid those actions? Of course not.

We can certainly try to reduce greed by teaching it more to young children, but it can never be "solved".

Think about ourselves. I have never cheated or stolen anything. But I can definitely remember times when I lied and was greedy. While I am not a dishonest or greedy person, I still own up to the fact that I have done these things before. Nobody can deny that they have been greedy at least once.

EDIT: SOLID is right about the underprivileged people; you can't automatically assume that they won't succeed.

 

[¯\_S.(ツ).L.I.D._/¯]

without being taught they can't become successful and everyone else wouldn't be greedy so it should be sharing time with little kids and if you were dumb and greedy all you could do is rob a bank and get shot

I strongly disagree with the first part of this. Lots of people rise up from having nothing to becoming successful, look at rappers, etc. Professional athletes as well. Look at Dwyane Wade. He didn't really get help because of his academic problems throughout high school and even the beginning of college, and almost didn't play. He grew up in a rough area, went to a sub-par high school, but look where he is now, top of the NBA, a lock for MVP this year.

 

[|RK|]

1. Greed is caused by typical human nature and is founded on want. It tends to be far more prevalent in younger children, due to their immaturity as well as those who have no siblings, as they oft did not have any opportunity to share consistently.

2. Greed in powerful people is caused by a constant hunger for power. Naturally, this effects others because of blackmail opportunities, the fact that they shun others and disrespect people because they have power, etc. They detract from human kindness. I'm sure that you've met at least one person who believes that the world is filled with hatred and corruption.

3. There are some ways that aren't guaranteed to work, such as if they are taught humility, or take up a religion, or are shown generosity by others who need. Which all falls back under "if they are taught humility". But generally, greedy people stay greedy.

 

[Eor]

Greed needs to be defined before this can really be debated. I'd say greed isn't simply self preservation, but is instead I think we should use the dictionary definition

"excessive or rapacious desire, esp. for wealth or possessions"

Which goes beyond simple self preservation

 

[|RK|]

^Quite correct. Greed can never be positive. Self preservation is positive.

 

[INSANE CARZY GUY]

I am not saying it is possible to 100% get rid of greed but is possible to make it the future people aren't mindless conmusers that have killed many people like wars and the slave trade, because in some parts of it people basicly sold there family for a quick buck.

Really the best way to stop a powerful person become greedly and ruin everyone's lives would be to make a good govermnet check system where a select group of people point out the major flaws before the goverment gets carried away, but the flaw is people in general are dumb(yes i did just say i am dumb) and they may fall to being bribed, but another check could be if you find someone bribing someone and report them you will be paid and they will be kicked out. just a idea to stop greed on a big scale

Oh i didn't mean if you where taught anything you wouldn't be dumb (rereads) He must have been inspired and he wasn't greedly(not trying to insult anyone)

 

[KrazyGlue]

I am not saying it is possible to 100% get rid of greed but is possible to make it the future people aren't mindless conmusers that have killed many people like wars and the slave trade, because in some parts of it people basicly sold there family for a quick buck.

1. There's lots of stuff I didn't really understand here. If you could make it grammatically correct, that would probably help (I underlined everything that I didn't get).

2. By saying "solve", you made it seem like you wanted to 100% eliminate it

3. You noted that many people in poor third world countries sometimes sell their kids away for money. While this is sometimes true, the more common case is that they are tricked into thinking their kid will be sent to a nice school when really they will become a slave of sorts. It's not always greed, but yes, it could be. But anyway, that's a different discussion.

Really the best way to stop a powerful person become greedly and ruin everyone's lives would be to make a good govermnet check system where a select group of people point out the major flaws before the goverment gets carried away, but the flaw is people in general are dumb(yes i did just say i am dumb) and they may fall to being bribed, but another check could be if you find someone bribing someone and report them you will be paid and they will be kicked out. just a idea to stop greed on a big scale

While it would be ideal for us to be able to be aware of every case of bribery, it's near impossible to do so without invading people's privacy. And there are also plenty of countries that have much bigger government problems than greed and aren't in position to solve the situation. Yes, the example you gave would help reduce corruption, but it's very hard to achieve.

You also seem to be forgetting that greed can also apply to people who aren't in the government, as well as the fact that greed isn't always punishable by law. I can almost guarantee you that the vast majority of instances of greed aren't punishable by law, and are simply issues of morals and ethics.

 

[INSANE CARZY GUY]

I am surprized no one has brung up the Christmas carol.

I am not saying it is possible to 100% get rid of greed, but is possible to make it so future people aren't mindless consumers that kill many people with wars and the slave trade, because in some parts of it people basicly sold there family for a quick buck.

Really the best way to stop a powerful person become greedly and ruin everyone's lives would be to make a good govermnet check system where a select group of people point out the major flaws before the goverment gets carried away, but the flaw is people in general are dumb(yes i did just say i am dumb) and they may fall to being bribed, but another check could be if you find someone bribing someone and report them you will be paid and they will be kicked out. just a idea to stop greed on a big scale

hope it makes more scents

sotty I am just a really really fast person who gets deleic when I read something out loud and that's why i don't much scents and i have read it out-loud to see the flaws

anywho I know that that anyone can be greedly but i was talking about powerful people, which can mean 2 things1.someone powerful2.powerful people, as in many people together to make a powerful group of people

I would want to take care of the mass/power that way it is harder to see and it will cause a lot less problems and greed causes wars and other big BS like global warming, whats worse than that in a goverment?

 

[RDK]

^Quite correct. Greed can never be positive. Self preservation is positive.

Actually, greed and self-preservation are inseparable.

From a biological standpoint, self-preservation is caused by greed (or rather is the result of greedy tendencies displayed by individual organisms so that they may survive and pass on their genes).

From an economic standpoint, greed and self-preservation are what cause competent companies and organizations to flourish, and incompetent ones to fail.

Greed makes the world go round.

 

[INSANE CARZY GUY]

I know the world is f****ed up but greed isn't the thing that makes the world go around. Because if it did we would want to be greedyer and The greed destroy what it caused because If you turn everyone greedy then no one would buy anything because they want money and bussiness should fail

And if you look up greed on wiki it will say greed is putting money above god and everything else. And the last time I looked it has scared the Earth and it is is a huge factor in global warming because for them money comes 1st and forget the world and please tell in this is great.

tell me if being greedy is good someone, because if greed is good then the stuff that follows should be good to because it's part of the circle

 

[Palpi]

An easier way to put it is money makes the world go 'round. People are greedy for money. Money gets them material possessions. Money controls everything around us.

The thought of competitiveness and greed keeps people wanting more, thus making less for others.

 

[KrazyGlue]

I suppose that greed helps induce competition between businesses, though I would not say it "makes the world go round". Greed hurts as much as (if not more than) it helps as well, so it's not exactly our savior.



@Insane Carzy Guy

What RDK and Palpi mean is that greed forces competition between businesses, which is the only way a capitalist economy can work. So basically it contributes to the foundations of our economy, in a sense. They weren't (I don't think) trying to say that being greedy is good in general, but from a business perspective it can be.

 

[Skrah]

As to solving greed in government bodies, I think the best way to do it would be to share power between people, instead of giving it out to one single person. Power breaks people into wanting more of it.

 

[INSANE CARZY GUY]

That was how the goverment was set-up in the US but... maybe we should go the french way and basily rewrite how it's set-up every 20 years or so to chage the flaws and junk.

Greed hurts as much as (if not more than) it helps as well, so it's not exactly our savior.
QUOTE]

I like that. because greed has never really helped in the long run.

 

[Palpi]

It helps the individual and helping yourself is part of the American dream. Though many people don't like it, if you are successful by being greedy, then you have pretty much fulfilled that dream. This is just like The Great Gastby.

 

[KrazyGlue]

It helps the individual and helping yourself is part of the American dream. Though many people don't like it, if you are successful by being greedy, then you have pretty much fulfilled that dream. This is just like The Great Gastby.

True, although achieving the american dream for yourself doesn't mean you're helping society. I would say greed is a double-edged sword, there's no doubt in my mind that it both helps and hurts us in many ways.

 

[BOB SAGET!]

1. greed is human nature. all humans have it in them to get what they want if its possible to get it. like the CEOs of big companies, some of them keep most of the money all to their selves because they can. the ratio of a CEO and a workers salery is 500-1.
2. greedy people who own large polluting factories dont give a **** about how their destroying the world. all they want is money.
3. u cant put an end to greed for good, but u can perevent yourself from being greedy. all in all its your decision to be greedy or not. to sin or not to sin. sadly theres always people out their who choose to be greedy because all they care about are themselves.
4. your here to debate, remember?

 

[INSANE CARZY GUY]

I like how this thread turned out.

You know how the big bussiness owners say **** the world and keep on going, could we put some blame on the peolple who really cause the problem, It's not like they are powerless to to stop them selfs.

 

[RDK]

I know the world is f****ed up but greed isn't the thing that makes the world go around. Because if it did we would want to be greedyer and The greed destroy what it caused because If you turn everyone greedy then no one would buy anything because they want money and bussiness should fail

This is outrageously fallacious logic for several reasons, but I'll go easy on you since it's obvious you have no idea what you're talking about.

When I talk about self-preservation, I mean rational self-preservation. That means that you don't blatantly become a greed-monger and push everyone away from you and hoard everything for yourself.

Self-preservation means you look at things in the long run; you don't burn up all your resources in five minutes. This is why companies who are greedy and smart survive, instead of ones that are just greedy. You look past the expediency of the moment. You have to be intelligent about it.

And yes, greed does make the world go round. If nobody was looking out for their own interests, nothing would ever get done, and we wouldn't have the multi-billion dollar industries and corporations we have to day. There would be no advancement; only stagnation.

 

[INSANE CARZY GUY]

Ok I see what your saying now. Bussiness wise yes it does make the world go around

 

[KevinM]

Ok not to sound like an *** or anything but I still fail to see the point of this topic.. are you perhaps saying that greed is a bad thing?

Because if so that has been refuted.

Otherwise we're just debating the morals of greed, which in general just turns into a pissing contest.

 

[INSANE CARZY GUY]

It's cool. even if you did sound like an ***. I was trying to get a good understanding of greed, like why ,what causes it,and that kind of junk. I don;t care As long as I and other people get a deeper understanding of greed.

 

[¯\_S.(ツ).L.I.D._/¯]

Wait, but then it isn't really a debate...

You're supposed to post topics where people can argue their different views, not just where people post information with nothing they're really defending.

 

[INSANE CARZY GUY]

Well what other views about anything greed relaled are there that haven't been said? Because when it comes to greed most people say it isn't good for_____ but will that stop them from being greedy? most likely no.

 

[¯\_S.(ツ).L.I.D._/¯]

It won't stop them since it's human nature. Most people know that greed is bad, but they can't do anything about it since it is present in all human beings.

 

[BOB SAGET!]

I've read many definitons on greed and one of them says that being greedy is to be in pursuit of something. So it kind of does make the world go round. but the problems with greed is that being greedy is to care about possesions more than people, that when the problems start. like the car company owners. the wanted bail out money from the government yet they travel to the meeting with the government in private jets. so instead of saving money for the people, they find its more important that they get there looking pretty.