What is greed

Everything in our world is finite. Everything will pass, because everything passes. The roses in the vase will fade, the vase will break, and the house in which the roses smelled will sooner or later be destroyed. Everything in this world has its end. Except for one thing - human greed. Greed truly has no end.

Legends are made and folk tales are told about human greed. Greed defies any elementary logic. Sometimes, when a person has little, greed does not appear in him - he is content with little. But if his income suddenly increases, then his greed also increases.

Remember Russian folk tales. Those heroes who showed greed, as a rule, ended their stories poorly. And those who, on the contrary, did not pursue any personal benefits and selfish goals, were generously rewarded.

Why is greed so destructive, what consequences does it lead to, and how to deal with it?

The term "greed" is a collective one. It includes several concepts:

Greed, acquisitiveness (are synonyms) - obsession with material wealth. The desire to get what you want rejects the norms of law and justice.
Selfishness is often accompanied by hypocrisy. A person’s vice hides under the guise of kindness, care, and love.
Covetousness is the definition of an insatiable desire for money. Passion affects the poor and the rich alike.

The difference between the concepts is small, they are very close. What unites them is the human desire to receive as much as possible without giving anything away. These are active character traits. They are aimed at endlessly multiplying what already exists.

Stinginess (excessive frugality) is a passive type of greed. The goal is not to give away what you have accumulated. The reluctance to spend becomes an obsession. A person saves on everything.

Depriving oneself of a small part of what has been accumulated leads a person to nervous breakdown, anger, and irritability. A neurotic state deprives a person of peace of mind.

The definition of what greed is becomes clear from etymology. Slavic tribes used the verb “to covet” (“to crave”) - to strongly want something, to be immoderate in desires.

The character trait does not apply to frugality. Thrifting is the need to limit expenses today in order to acquire what you want tomorrow.

The Orthodox faith classifies greed as one of the seven most serious sins. Because it destroys the immortal human soul. The love of money drives love for one's neighbor out of the heart, leaving only the attraction to money in a person.

Causes

Psychologists and scientists who analyze the motives for the emergence of greed put forward various assumptions. One hypothesis is that the roots of the problem go back to childhood. Acquisitiveness arises as a reaction of the self-preservation instinct to life's difficulties.

Main factors:

Fears . There is a theory in psychology that declares fear to be the cause of greed. A person has no confidence in the future. The danger of losing material well-being pushes a person to preserve what he has accumulated. Then even this becomes not enough, and a desire arises to increase values. Gradually, the natural desire to be financially prosperous is hypertrophied. This may mean it turns into greed. Childhood trauma - the child did not receive the love and affection of his parents to the fullest, he was afraid to be left alone. Fears first gave rise to complexes, then hoarding and multiplication.
Poverty of the soul. One-sided upbringing of a child, when the material world dominates the spiritual component, develops selfishness in him. Parents do not give their child warmth and fill the void in the relationship with toys and gadgets. By replacing love with objects, they do not think that they are raising a future greedy person. The desire for kindness, gratitude, and non-covetousness is replaced by a desire for greed and stinginess.
Poverty . The family in which the child grew up was constantly in need of food. He was ridiculed by his peers because he did not have good clothes or a telephone. Growing up, a person feels the need to compensate for childhood grievances. In pursuit of wealth, he ceases to control desires and actions. He develops all kinds of greed.
Worship of material values (family model of behavior). The talk in the house boils down to the fact that money decides everything in life. Adults are busy with the problem of accumulating and increasing material values. In such conditions, children receive the wrong concept of good. Acquiring property becomes the goal of life. Manifestations concern not only the material side. Acquisitiveness is expressed in the desire for power, honor, and fame. It makes no difference what you accumulate; the process of multiplication itself is important.

This personal quality can have a positive meaning. To achieve what he wants, a person develops active activity. The attraction to knowledge and skills forces him to make maximum efforts. The main thing in the pursuit of something new is not to cross the line separating a good goal from a vice.

Portrait of a greedy man

Manfred Kets de Vries, a clinical psychoanalyst from Holland, elevates greed to the category of pathology. He compiled a unique portrait by which one can identify a greedy person:

Egocentrism. As a rule, such people are fixated on themselves. The word “I” is heard in their communication as often as situations occur in which they place their own interests above the feelings and needs of others.
Envy. Expressed in people's strong desire to own other people's property, status or privileges. Greed and envy go together like twin brothers.
Lack of empathy. Caring about other people's feelings is not part of the repertoire of qualities of a greedy person. All that remains is a mimicry of sincerity. In reality, they do not understand and are not interested in the emotions and experiences of others. They tend to avoid taking responsibility for their behavior, which creates communication problems and makes people “difficult.”
The mood color is grey. As a rule, greedy people think in slightly different categories. Let's take the situation with the business pie: when everyone is focused on increasing it, a greedy person will try to grab a significant part of the existing result. Such people believe that they always deserve more, even in cases where saturation occurs at the expense of others. This is where the greatest dissatisfaction with life comes from. The mood color is grey.
Manipulation. Greedy people are master manipulators. They are much more talented in relation to the work done by others. Charm, coquetry and charm are used. All for the sake of feeding your ego.
Here and now. Another characteristic of greedy people is their focus on short-term results. Satisfy your desire here and now, and let others deal with the consequences. This, by the way, very organically coexists with hoarding and frugality.
Unprincipled. Greedy people are not distinguished by their subtle mental structure. Compromising your values and ethics to achieve a goal or satisfy a desire is acceptable. Such people love to look for loopholes and workarounds, go against society and break traditional norms and ideas about morality.

Types of Greed

The desire to acquire as many valuable things as possible, accumulate money, and gain benefits is present among the majority of the planet's population. This trait does not always arise against the background of only external factors.

Quality comes in a number of forms.

Pathological

In old age, character accentuation can develop into pathology, causing aggression, irritability, and distrust. A person who has an anxiety-dependent, sadistic personality structure is at risk. He lives in fear of the future, is unable to interact with the environment, with himself. Every expenditure is painful. We are intolerant of “wasters.”

Pathology requires treatment. In psychiatry, manic passion caused by brain damage is treated with medications and group therapy.

Research by American scientists conducted in 2012 under the leadership of clinical psychologist David Tolin found that the frontal lobes of the cerebral cortex are responsible for the craving for hoarding. The centers responsible for the need for accumulation are concentrated in them. The conclusion was made based on observations of patients who had suffered a brain injury that affected these areas. Patients who were apparently healthy became hoarders.

If pathological greed is caused by a psychological reason, then the direction of work is to search for motives of behavior and correct them. A trait deforms character and thinking. An important point will be the person’s awareness of his addiction and the desire to get rid of it. Not everyone can solve the problem on their own. The help of a psychologist will become a support on the path of rethinking.

Congenital

Genetic memory has accumulated and retained information from ancestors. Thanks to her, humanity exists.

Greed is one of the archaic methods of survival. Every personality has an innate quality. Trait formation begins in early childhood. During this period, the child’s attitude towards material and spiritual values is formed. Living conditions and surroundings are the reasons for its development.

Electoral

A positive form of selective greed can be considered competition in study, work, and achievements. It is the driving motive that helps to develop. But only until the moment when it turns into acquisitiveness.

Signs of selective greed are observed in young children (2-3 years old), when the ego and the concept of private property are formed. The child shares his things at will and not with everyone.

In adults, this type leads to a distortion in the concepts of value. A person can save on food, clothing, health, but spend large sums on an expensive car. Here greed is combined with envy. The desire to have something better than a friend or colleague.

Aggressive

Greed, acquisitiveness are types of aggressive greed. A person wants to take as much as possible, regardless of the people around him. It comes from childhood, when a child had to “earn” the love of his parents with good grades and behavior. Material wealth is not always acquired legally. The desire for excess is present in all areas of life (in food, pleasures, shopping). In social relations, greed is expressed by the desire to obtain high status and power.

Greedy aggression motivates a person to achieve his goal. People of this type achieve greater success in business. Because they don’t stop at the results they get. It's never enough for them.

Greed caused by apprehension and fear

The craving for accumulation, the desire to obtain more material values are based on fear. Uncertainty about one's capabilities and fears for the future make one greedy. Preserving and increasing benefits becomes the meaning of existence. This is how confidence appears in a person and fears recede. Additionally, people get pleasure from achieving what they want. Hoarding becomes a character trait.

The difference between stinginess and greed is small, but there is. Stinginess is the unwillingness to spend, greed is the desire to get.

According to psychosomatics, selfish people suffer from diseases of the heart, skin, and digestive organs more often than spenders.

Greed in men

Male greed is a common phenomenon in our world. It has nothing to do with frugality, which helps create a family budget. Economy does not infringe on the financial rights of the parties; it is aimed at the rational use of funds.

A relationship with a greedy partner will bring disappointment and resentment to a woman. A girl, even at the dating stage, can detect stinginess in a guy’s character. How to recognize a miser in a man:

More than 9,000 people have gotten rid of their psychological problems using this technique.

Flowers and gifts are presented on occasion (memorable date, birthday). The gentleman considers giving presents for no reason a waste of money.
Scrupulously studies the restaurant receipt, commenting on prices. The man tries to speak in a joking tone, but his voice and facial expressions will give away the tension.
Conversations and reasoning come down to money. He will describe in detail where and how much he spent. Enjoy discounts received and purchases on sales.
He is ready to spend large sums of money only if the expenses bring him benefits.
He will calmly accept payment for the purchase by his companion.
He prefers walking the streets or spending his free time at home over entertainment (cinema, theater, concerts, visiting people).

A greedy man is emotionally stingy and rarely gives compliments.

The manifestation of these traits should alert a woman. If she is not ready to tolerate such a companion, then she needs to get rid of her close relationship with him.

Simple truths

Remember once and for all: the more you give, the more you receive. Just don’t do good in anticipation of a miracle; only selfless deeds will bring benefits.

To cope with dissatisfaction in the soul, you need to turn into a useful, kind person. Learn to rejoice at the very opportunity to give to people, no matter what, your feelings or material things. Dissatisfaction with oneself and the world around us provokes the manifestation of greed. Selfless deeds will help you get rid of the psychology of greed and envy.

Greed in women

In the female subconscious lies the desire to accumulate, which was inherited from our ancestors. The keeper of the hearth must provide food for the offspring.

In our world, instinct is manifested by the choice of a financially independent life partner. Self-interest is determined by the desire to ensure a comfortable existence for oneself and children. It is important that the passion for material well-being does not take exaggerated forms.

The cause of female greed is childhood psychological trauma, the example of the mother, and the conditions of upbringing.

Symptoms and manifestations:

The desire to concentrate money in one's own hands. The emphasis in conversations is on material wealth. Spiritual values fade into the background.
A woman saves on food and tries to buy cheaper clothes. The justification is accumulating funds for an expensive purchase.
She is dissatisfied with her husband’s earnings and constantly reproaches him.
In case of loss of money or unplanned expenses, she becomes depressed and irritable.
Ostentatious asceticism, which is justified by religiosity. Outwardly refusing worldly goods, a woman continues to accumulate material resources.

The opposite manifestation of greed can be an irrepressible passion for shopping. She saves on everything except herself. Purchasing expensive things (jewelry, a car, a fur coat) becomes a mania.

An example of extraordinary stinginess is Henrietta Green (1834-1916). She was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the most greedy person. After her death, about 4 billion US dollars remained. During her lifetime, she received the nickname “Witch of Wall Street.” She had no equal in usury and stock market games. Green wore a single black dress. She changed the linen after it turned into rags. I ate the cheapest food and saved on soap. An indicator of her greed is the story that happened to her son Ned. When he broke his leg, his mother took her son to a free hospital for the poor. Getty did not spend money on his treatment, as a result the boy was left without a leg.

“He was a great housekeeper!”

It is important to distinguish greed from the usual desire to save due to life circumstances (or character).

A thrifty friend will also look for sales and maybe even make tea a second time, but he will never leave his friend without a holiday gift, and the gift itself - with a price tag.

When communicating with a thrifty friend, you do not experience negative emotions , and the word “miserable!” does not involuntarily fly out of your mouth. On the contrary, you admire his ability to allocate money and save even where this is usually impossible.

The benefits of greed

There are positive aspects to be found in the passion for accumulation.

A stingy person uses resources rationally, this helps to retain and increase values.

Greedy people strive for more. They are not satisfied with the results they have received, so they move on to new achievements (aggressive greed). Preserving accumulated wealth gives a person confidence in the future (“airbag”). Stingy people are stress-resistant because they feel protected.

Greed is a good motivation to start moving forward. This stimulus carries negative energy. But if it allows it to develop materially, scientifically, creatively, then it has the right to exist.

Obsession and enmity

The ultimate fruit of greed is pleasure. It can be coarser or more subtle. You can enjoy your position and the amount of earnings and honor. But greed gives rise to dissatisfaction, which, being in the guna of passion, forces a person to act. And in the best case, which is rare, this activity will be beneficial to everyone. But what happens most often is that it is easier to simply take something away or appropriate it for yourself. Thus, the endless desire to enjoy the fruits of one’s activities leads to a violation of moral and religious principles.

When there are two prince brothers who rule the country together, but one of them is greedy, the result will be murder. This is how the Mahabharata talks about it. King Duryodhana wanted to rule over everything, he was not satisfied with half, but when the virtuous and generous king Yudhishhira asked him for some villages to avoid war and find a compromise, Duryodhana refused. The result is that he was defeated. In general, the Mahabharata, with its result - the flooding of Dwaraka, shows that everything material is subject to complete destruction, no matter how majestic it is. And a small moment of material pleasure is not worth violating religious principles.

Obsession is born of attachment. The obsessive idea of completely possessing one object or person is called jealousy, which brings a lot of anxiety to others, but most of all it brings suffering to the jealous person himself. So, for any reason, his day can be ruined, and his relationship will always hang by a thread. Obsession is an extreme degree of attachment that always leads to suffering. “What’s mine should be mine and that’s normal”—there’s no pleasure in that.

We also recommend this article: Purposefulness and seriousness are the qualities of a mature person.

Greed between people ultimately leads to either enmity, humiliation, or a breakdown in relationships. Greed is not a quality that needs to be cultivated , if only because for a greedy person everything is measured in money and the opportunity to enjoy. And this is not life.

Possible consequences

Often people lose their sense of proportion and make mistakes. The line when a mild form of money-grubbing turns into a pathological form is erased.

In family

Stinginess is clearly manifested in family relationships.

The husband's ability to earn more than his wife or to fully support the family leads to the desire to use money as a means of power. Total control of expenses brings satisfaction to a man; he allows himself to humiliate his wife. The husband demands an account for every amount spent, expressing dissatisfaction with the large check. His greed manifests itself in the material side, in the absence of spiritual warmth. An egoist man spends money on his needs without restrictions, justifying them as family necessity. He takes his wife’s work around the house for granted, without feeling gratitude, without taking into account her needs. This behavior causes conflicts and leads to divorce.

In business

Greed is a positive incentive when it leads to development and the search for new ways to make a profit. On this path you need not only to earn income, but also to make investments for the future. In this case, the negative character trait acts for the good.

The desire to acquire a quick profit, to “squeeze” everything as much as possible at once, without forecasting ahead, leads to ruin. Stinginess ruins business just like wastefulness.

In progress

A greedy attitude towards work has positive and negative aspects. The employee strives for career growth. This motivates to increase their professional level and improve the quality of work. Such money-grubbing is only welcomed by the leader.

Unreasonable demands for higher salaries or job status driven by greed can end badly. It will lead to damaged relations with the employer and dismissal.

With friends and loved ones

People live in society. They communicate with family and make friends. They share emotions and give gifts. The miser refuses meetings, afraid of spending. Thoughts about the expected expenses irritate him. Jokes about his greed lead to aggression, provoking conflicts. Greed destroys connections and leaves a person alone.

You don't leave a tip

Of course, if you were served poorly and there are flies swimming in the soup, you don’t have to leave a tip. This point applies to those greedy people who, on principle, do not say hello to the waiters, even such a meager one as ten percent of the coffee bill.

If you think that waiters will get by just fine without tips, then we suggest you stop thinking that way. In many ways, the income of catering workers still depends on this additional payment from customers, so by being greedy you are not helping.

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Ways to fight greed

A person can cope with the uncontrollable desire to accumulate and preserve goods. The main condition is understanding your problem and the desire to solve it.

“Drive out greed from your heart, don’t expect anything from the world. And immediately the world will seem immensely generous to you.” Rudaki, Persian poet, 9th century.

Awareness of the harm of greed

The vicious tendency did not arise immediately. She became part of the character. The first step on the path to deliverance is awareness of your greed. We need to find the reason that caused it. Understand the consequences of behavior.

Developing the right beliefs in yourself

The accumulation of material assets should not be an end in itself. Developing positive mental qualities is more important than acquiring material wealth. Understanding greed as a vicious attraction will help you change your inner world and direct your strength to get rid of acquisitiveness and its companions (envy, lies).

Developing attachment

A greedy person is emotionally stingy. He avoids attachment to people and does not like to praise or thank. By changing the attitude towards this component, sincerely making compliments, the personality is revealed. She develops spiritual connections.

Get into the habit of giving gifts

Stinginess denies gratuitous spending. Expenses should bring material benefits. You can fight greed by developing compassion. Help people in need, make charitable contributions in small amounts at first. Learn to give gifts for no reason to your loved ones. Appreciating people will help you develop the habit of sharing.

conclusions

It is a common belief that if people were not greedy, we would still be living in caves. The desire to save, get rich and accumulate seems natural to humans. The dual status of greed has always raised questions among people. On the one hand, this is the engine of progress: a person satisfied with the minimum would not invent ways to live better. On the other hand, this is a vice condemned in society and religion. Greedy people are not liked, people judge them and try to avoid them. Moreover, in modern culture, where materialism is encouraged, the problem of greed comes to the fore.