greed definition essay

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The Definition and Nature of Human Greed

• Categories: Greed Human Nature

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Published: Sep 1, 2020

Words: 813 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Works Cited:

• Engen, E. (2000). The Laramie Project. Vintage Books.
• Hing, D. (2000). The Laramie Project. Vintage Books.
• Kaufman, M. (2000). The Laramie Project. Vintage Books.
• Peacock, J. (2000). The Laramie Project. Vintage Books.
• Schultz, J. (2000). The Laramie Project. Vintage Books.
• Tectonic Theater Project. (2000). The Laramie Project. Vintage Books.
• Ula, Z. (2000). The Laramie Project. Vintage Books.
• "10 Years Later: The Laramie Project and Matthew Shepard's Legacy." (2014). Advocate, 1-5.
• Erzen, T. (2008). “Pray the Gay Away”: The Extraordinary Lives of Bible Belt Gays. Beacon Press.
• Loffreda, B. (2002). Losing Matt Shepard: Life and Politics in the Aftermath of Anti-gay Murder. Columbia University Press.

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Definition of greed

• acquisitiveness
• avariciousness
• covetousness
• graspingness
• mercenariness
• rapaciousness

Examples of greed in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'greed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

back-formation from greedy

1609, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near greed

Cite this entry.

“Greed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greed. Accessed 18 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of greed, more from merriam-webster on greed.

Nglish: Translation of greed for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of greed for Arabic Speakers

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What causes greed and how can we deal with it?

Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Goldstein Family Community Chair in Human Rights, University of Nebraska Omaha

Disclosure statement

Laura E. Alexander does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University of Nebraska Omaha provides funding as a member of The Conversation US.

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Recent news stories have highlighted unethical and even lawless actions taken by people and corporations that were motivated primarily by greed.

Federal prosecutors, for example, charged 33 wealthy parents, some of whom were celebrities, with paying bribes to get their children into top colleges. In another case, lawyer Michael Avenatti was accused of trying to extort millions from Nike, the sports company.

Allegations of greed are listed in the lawsuit filed against members of Sackler family , the owners of Purdue Pharma, accused of pushing powerful painkillers as well as the treatment for addiction.

In all of these cases, individuals or companies seemingly had wealth and status to spare, yet they allegedly took actions to gain even further advantage. Why would such successful people or corporations allegedly commit crimes to get more?

As a scholar of comparative religious ethics , I frequently teach basic principles of moral thought in diverse religious traditions.

Religious thought can help us understand human nature and provide ethical guidance, including in cases of greed like the ones mentioned here.

Anxiety and injustice

The work of the 20th-century theologian Reinhold Niebuhr on human anxiety offers one possible explanation for what might drive people to seek more than they already have or need.

Niebuhr was arguably the most famous theologian of his time. He was a mentor to several public figures . These included Arthur Schlesinger Jr. , a historian who served in the Kennedy White House, and George F. Kennan , a diplomat and an adviser on Soviet affairs. Niebuhr also came to have a deep influence on former President Barack Obama .

Niebuhr said the human tendency to perpetuate injustice is the result of a deep sense of existential anxiety, which is part of the human condition. In his work “The Nature and Destiny of Man,” Niebuhr described human beings as creatures of both “spirit” and “nature.”

As “spirit,” human beings have consciousness, which allows them to rise above the sensory experiences they have in any given moment.

Yet, at the same time, he said, human beings do have physical bodies, senses and instincts, like any other animal. They are part of the natural world and are subject to the risks and vulnerabilities of mortality, including death.

Together, these traits mean that human beings are not just mortal, but also conscious of that mortality. This juxtaposition leads to a deeply felt anxiety, which, according to Niebuhr, is the “inevitable spiritual state of man.”

To deal with the anxiety of knowing they will die, Niebuhr says, human beings are tempted to – and often do – grasp at whatever means of security seem within their reach, such as knowledge, material goods or prestige.

In other words, people seek certainty in things that are inherently uncertain.

Hurting others

This is a fruitless task by definition, but the bigger problem is that the quest for certainty in one’s own life almost always harms others. As Niebuhr writes :

“Man is, like the animals, involved in the necessities and contingencies of nature; but unlike the animals he sees this situation and anticipates its perils. He seeks to protect himself against nature’s contingencies; but he cannot do so without transgressing the limits which have been set for his life. Therefore all human life is involved in the sin of seeking security at the expense of other life.”

The case of parents who may have committed fraud to gain coveted spots for their children at prestigious colleges offers an example of trying to find some of this certainty. That comes at the expense of others, who cannot gain admission to a college because another child has gotten in via illegitimate means.

As other research has shown, such anxiety may be more acute in those with higher social status. The fear of loss, among other things, could well drive such actions .

What we can learn from the Buddha

While Niebuhr’s analysis can help many of us understand the motivations behind greed, other religious traditions might offer further suggestions on how to deal with it.

Several centuries ago, the Buddha said that human beings have a tendency to attach themselves to “things” – sometimes material objects, sometimes “possessions” like prestige or reputation.

Scholar Damien Keown explains in his book on Buddhist ethics that in Buddhist thought, the whole universe is interconnected and ever-changing. People perceive material things as stable and permanent, and we desire and try to hold onto them.

But since loss is inevitable, our desire for things causes us to suffer. Our response to that suffering is often to grasp at things more and more tightly. But we end up harming others in our quest to make ourselves feel better.

Taken together, these thinkers provide insight into acts of greed committed by those who already have so much. At the same time, the teachings of the Buddha suggest that our most strenuous efforts to keep things for ourselves cannot overcome their impermanence. In the end, we will always lose what we are trying to grasp.

• Sackler family
• Reinhold Niebuhr
• College admissions scandal
• Impermanence

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Definition Essay On Greed

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What Is Greed?

Hugh Whelchel January 14, 2013

The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed — for lack of a better word — is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms – greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge – has marked the upward surge of mankind. – Gordon Gekko, Wall Street   (1987)

Gordon Gekko’s rant on the virtues of greed in Oliver Stone’s 1987 movie Wall Street has become an iconic touchstone in our cultural image of business.

Over the last 30 years, the media has done much to promote the idea that the essential qualities of the free market system are to promote greed and give unscrupulous businessmen a vehicle to line their pockets at the expense of others.

Certainly there have been many non-fictional events to help support this stereotype:

• Stock trader Michel Milken ‘s indictment and conviction on 98 counts of racketeering and securities fraud in 1989.
• The bankruptcy and scandal surrounding energy giant Enron Corporation in 2001.
• The U.S. subprime mortgage crisis which led to the late-2000’s financial crisis.

Contrary to Gordon Gekko, greed is not good. It is extremely destructive.

Before we dive into the question of greed and the market, it’s first important to define greed.

Common Definitions of Greed

Webster’s Dictionary defines greed as a selfish and excessive desire for more of something than is needed. WordNet , a project at Princeton University, defines greed as an “excessive desire to acquire or possess more than one needs or deserves.”

Although most people, including many Christians, embrace this definition, where do we draw the line regarding “more of something than is needed” or what do I “deserve”? Is it greedy to drive a Mercedes when a less expensive automobile could get me to my destination just as well?

This type of thinking has led some Christian scholars to suggest that the top one percent of wealthy individuals in the United States are all greedy, because by almost anyone’s definition they have more of everything than is needed.

This is a relativistic definition of greed. Who decides not only what is needed, but when someone has more than enough? How do we know when too much is too much? Who decides what one needs and deserves? These definitions aren’t clear on these questions.

Fortunately, we as Christians have a better source than Webster’s Dictionary to help us understand the problem of greed.

The Bible has a lot to say about greed, and its definition is different than the one that is in use by most of our culture today.

Towards A Biblical Definition of Greed

The Greek word pleonexia , originating from the Greek  πλεονεξια , is the word that is most commonly translated as greed or covetousness in the New Testament (see Colossians 3:1–11 ;  Luke 12:13–21 ; 1 Thessalonians 2:5 ; 2 Peter 2:3 ).

Biblical commentator John Ritenbaugh describes it as a “ruthless self-seeking, and an arrogant assumption that others and things exist for one’s own benefit.” This word is also found in the writing of both Plato and Aristotle, and is strictly defined as “the insatiable desire to have what rightfully belongs to others.”

New Testament Greek scholar William Barclay describes pleonexia as an “accursed love of having,” which “will pursue its own interests with complete disregard for the rights of others, and even for the considerations of common humanity.” He labels it an aggressive vice that operates in three spheres of life:

• In the material sphere it involves “grasping at money and goods, regardless of honor and honesty.”
• In the ethical sphere it is “the ambition which tramples on others to gain something which is not properly meant for it.”
• In the moral sphere, it is “the unbridled lust which takes its pleasure where it has no right to take.”

The Missing Component

There is an important thread that runs through these biblical definitions that is strongly missing from the typical definitions of greed. It is the idea that greed fosters the taking of something that is not rightfully ours. Our culture’s current relativistic definition of greed does not address this component.

In our postmodern culture where the concepts of right, wrong, and absolute truth have fallen on hard times, it is easy to see why even in Christian circles we have inappropriately morphed the definition of greed to eliminate anything to do with objective moral truth.

Yet, as Christians we are called to a much higher standard. Through the scripture we have been given a moral code, which we have been called to live by in all areas of our lives.

There is much misunderstanding regarding the concept of greed, business and the role we have been called to play as Christians in the workplace. We will have more to say about this subject in future posts.

What do you think? What is the definition of greed? Leave your comments here . 

Hugh Whelchel

“Is it greedy to drive a Mercedes when a less expensive automobile could get me to my destination just as well?” Twitter Facebook

“It is the idea that greed fosters the taking of something that is not rightfully ours.” Twitter Facebook

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November 1, 2013

Greed: How Economic Selfishness Harms Us All

Taming greed in favor of cooperation would benefit both individuals and society

By Dan Ariely & Aline Grüneisen

“I am not a destroyer of companies. I am a liberator of them! The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.” These are the words of Gordon Gekko, played by Michael Douglas in the 1987 film Wall Street . The poster boy for unharnessed greed echoes the sentiment of rational free-market economists, who view greed as not only an inevitable aspect of human nature but ultimately a desirable one.

As the prevailing (yet simplistic) economic theory goes, greed motivates competition, and competition is essential for growth in a functioning market. By focusing on personal gains, people directly contribute to the greater good. The late American economist Milton Friedman espoused this ideology of greed when he said, “The world runs on individuals pursuing their separate interests.” He asked, “Is there some society you know that doesn't run on greed?” Homo economicus , the rational self-interested being that represents standard economic theory, benefits society only to the extent that he maximizes his own utility.

Yet greed has historically had a bad reputation. Even today the overwhelming majority of people shun greedy behavior. When we consider the situations in which financial self-interest benefits individuals and society and when it impedes, there are few of the former and many of the latter. The belief that greed allows markets to flourish is more likely a reflection of the ability of Homo sapiens to justify our selfish motivations than it is a prescription for economic success. Understanding this fact, along with a greater appreciation of greed's harm, can go a long way toward curtailing selfish behavior.

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“Thou Shalt Not Covet …” If we rewind to ancient times, the idea of greed as a sin is planted throughout history. Philosophers from Socrates and Plato to David Hume and Immanuel Kant viewed greed as a moral violation, to be avoided and denounced. Roman Christian poet Prudentius depicted greed in the Early Middle Ages as the most frightening of all vices. And in its itemized treatment of this sin, among others, the Bible set forth the 10th commandment: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's.”

Today, rather than taking a purely moral approach, much of the opposition to greed appears to stem from its negative effects on others. When people prosper at the expense of others, for example, observers are repulsed. In a study published in 1986 psychologist Daniel Kahneman, now emeritus professor at Princeton University, and his colleagues showed that consumers refuse to support companies that take advantage of their customers for the sake of profit (through price gouging, for example). More recently, in unpublished work, Amit Bhattacharjee, now at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and his colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania reported that people judge even the mere act of profit seeking as harmful to society. The researchers found that more profitable firms were regarded as less deserving of their winnings, less subject to competition and more motivated to make money regardless of the consequences. Furthermore, when asked to compare two hypothetical organizations that were identical aside from their “for-profit” or “nonprofit” status, people perceived for-profit firms as less valuable and more socially damaging than the nonprofits. Thus, the perception of greed as harmful extends to the mere act of profiting, which is of course the only way that capitalist markets can function.

This aversion to greed-driven, profit-seeking behavior may be based on a fundamental desire for fairness, including, for example, more equal wealth distribution. In a study published in 2013 sociology graduate student Esra Burak of Stanford University showed that 61 percent of Americans claim that they would support a cap on compensation for extremely high earners, regardless of how hard they have worked or what they have achieved. In addition, in laboratory games in which people are asked to contribute to a public pool of money that will later be split among all participants, players readily penalize those who greedily hold on to their resources. They keep defectors in check and will do so even when restoring fairness comes at a personal financial cost.

Yet not everyone finds value in suppressing greed. In a series of studies published in 2011 organizational behavior professor Long Wang of the City University of Hong Kong and his colleagues had students play the “dictator game,” in which participants are granted a sum of money that they can divvy up among themselves and an anonymous partner in any way they choose. The researchers found that the more a student had studied economics, the more money he or she kept for himself or herself and the less likely the individual was to explain his or her actions in terms of fairness. In a second study, students reflected on their past greedy behavior in writing, rated the morality of greed in general, and tried to define greed in their own words. By all three measures, the more students had been schooled in economics, the more positively they viewed greed. And as a third experiment showed, even just a hint of exposure to economic theory can convince people of the virtues of greed. The researchers found that students with no prior training held more positive opinions of greed just after they read a statement on the economic benefits of self-interest.

Corrosive Competition Although we may be easily swayed by these convenient rationalizations, the economic justification for greed is nonetheless shortsighted. Ferocious competition may occasionally lead to optimal market outcomes, but it can also have harmful side effects. Think about competition in sports. At first glance, the drive to be the best appears to propel human achievements to new heights. World records are surpassed, and yesterday's Olympic medalists pale in comparison with today's champions. Yet extreme dedication has costs. Athletes may not spend enough time with their friends and families, or they may sacrifice their long-term health to perform better in the short term—by overexerting their body or taking performance-enhancing drugs such as steroids.

The consequences of unchecked greed can also spill over into society. In his 2011 book The Darwin Economy , economist Robert H. Frank of Cornell University outlines some of the disastrous effects of allowing competition to run free. Take, for example, neighbors gunning for social status. Each tries to outdo the others, purchasing a slightly flashier car, bigger pool or more expensive grill. When Joe Jones down the block builds a home theater and Jane Smith across the street installs a 3-D amphitheater, you will no longer be satisfied with your meager widescreen television. We don't simply try to keep up with the Joneses, we try to surpass them—triggering what Frank calls “expenditure cascades.” That is, high spending by top earners shifts the reference point for those earning just a bit less, affecting those next in the ladder of prosperity, and so on. This chain of events can culminate in all classes spending more than they can afford, leading to a higher likelihood of bankruptcy (from increased debt), divorce (from the pressures of financial instability) and longer commutes to work (after moving to cheaper neighborhoods to cope with the debt).

The financial crisis of 2008 arose from a similar conflict between eagerness for short-term gains and long-term prosperity. High competition among financial institutions drove them to “financial innovations” that eventually left many of us with bankruptcies, foreclosures, a lack of trust in the market and a substantial national debt that we will be paying for generations to come.

Greed can also encourage ethically dubious behaviors. In an unpublished experiment with Lalin Anik of Duke University, we investigated whether people would be more willing to profit at the expense of others if they could rationalize their actions more easily—specifically by claiming that their motives were intended to benefit another group: shareholders. To explore this hypothesis, we asked participants to imagine themselves as the CEO of a publicly traded bank. We gave them a list of ethically questionable actions that would profit their company and asked which ones they would take. They could, for example, charge overdraft fees, increase interest on securities held or use tax shelters to offset income with losses from previous years. When participants were told that their primary goal as CEO was to maximize shareholder value, they were much more willing to partake in these ethically questionable acts. And when some of these participants were told that their year-end bonuses depended on satisfying this goal, the questionable behaviors became even more popular.

Perhaps shockingly, these results were most pronounced for those who aced the three-item financial literacy test we gave them. That is, those who were more educated in finance were even more inclined toward questionable behavior. Although most of us perceive avarice in a negative light, we can be greedy ourselves when given the right justifications for our behavior.

Cultivating Cooperation Despite this capacity to rationalize selfishness, people do not always avail themselves of it. They can often be quite selfless, sacrificing their own welfare to benefit others. People help those in need, donate money to charities and volunteer their time. (Yes, even economists sometimes help the elderly lady carry her groceries across the street.) In scenarios such as the dictator game, most participants reliably share some of their wealth—despite the fact that the rational economic decision is to keep it all.

All in all, humans are part Scrooge and part Robin Hood. We are more likely to be selfish when we can easily explain our choices or when we fail to consider the people who could suffer from them. Yet when we think about the people whom we can hurt and help, we behave more considerately. The lessons are straightforward: we must not let rational economic theory eclipse the fact that greed can be damaging. Next, we should work to make the consequences of our actions clearer, with the hope that our cooperative spirit will be boosted by concrete examples of those who might bear the brunt of our actions. And finally, we must combat the rationalizations of self-interest, including the simplistic mantra that greedy behavior propels society forward.

Yet if you are still trying to surpass the Joneses, bear in mind that above the poverty line, having more money will not make you appreciably happier. In fact, research shows that individuals who focus on financial success are less stable and less happy overall. So rather than splurging on a high-end grill that will make your neighbor jealous—and perhaps add to your debt—choose instead to help your neighbor assemble her grill for a block party cookout. And if the party small talk turns to the economy, slip in a pitch for cooperation rather than greed.

Dan Ariely is James B. Duke Professor of Psychology & Behavioral Economics at Duke University and founder of the Center for Advanced Hindsight. He is co-creator of a documentary on corruption and a bestselling author.

Definition Essay Greed

Greed is something that has plagued society since the beginning of time. It is on the list for the one of the most powerful feeling in society today. Greed can be shown in every day to day activity. Since greed is everywhere, there is nothing you can do to put an end to it. If a person would succumb to this powerful force, it can be fatal. Defining greed is different for everybody; however, it is not an easy task. The Merriam-Webster online-dictionary defines greed as “a selfish and excessive desire to have more of something.” This definition of greed is short, simple, and right to root of the word. To other residents in modern society, greed could be defined as another thing entirely, something quite the opposite. Most people view greed as …show more content…

To begin to analyze a word that determines how a person lives their lives, a person has to choose if this certain quality is good for people or bad. Greed is the mitochondria of the world’s success, getting rid of it would only end in disaster for mankind. If not for greed, humanity would not have the luxuries that society has today. Because people have been greedy, people have reached almost every corner of the earth and beyond into space. A lot occupations and cultures have been the direct result of greed. Great conquerors and rulers have used the reason of greed to reach the massive empires that they acquired. As a consumer, people tend to try to find the best outright price for the product they want. This instinct to find the best price is produced from greed. It also pushes the producer to make the most efficient way to produce their product. Greed is a good thing for people, some use it wisely to advance themselves, like Bill Lerach; however, others use it for themselves and receive dire consequences, like the children, besides Charlie, in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Is the want to have success greedy in today’s society? To people that see greed as a good thing, it is considered a great asset to humanity. It is used as a reason to advance society, technology, and human genetics. All in all, people are on both sides of greed, however, greed can also be considered

Andrew Carnegie Greed Quotes

Greed – the extreme, selfish desire to acquire what is beyond average necessities. Whether greed applies to wealth or power, mankind is prone to exemplify the cupidity. Humans may never become truly content with what they are given, allowing them to desire superfluous objects. The development of greed, as shown in repeated history, eventually leads to the ruination of characters, one particular character being Andrew Carnegie. Andrew Carnegie, the leader of the steel industry in the 19th century, epitomized the concept of greed by yearning for supplementary profits within his company; this greed greatly affected the lives of many, including Carnegie himself.

Motivation In The Devil And Tom Walker

For instance, The Huntsman made a deal with the Evil Queen that she'll bring back his dead wife back if he brings back the prisoner that escaped into the dark forest back to her. This shows greed because he just wants his wife's live with him because to him it doesn't matter who he has to kill or capture to get his wife back. Secondly, In Washington Irving's “ The Devil and Tom Walker” Tom Walker's wife displays her greed by hiding useless things that are mostly used by the husband and the wife lie eggs but she hides it. For instance, “At length she determined to drive the bargain on her own account… to keep all the gain to herself .”

The Pardoner's Tale Greed Essay

Greed, the desire to gain with no self-control and wanting everything to oneself. It involves wanting to get ahead of others and not looking at others over yourself. It is the desire to

Theme Of Greed In The Crucible

As a French Proverb states, “greedy eaters dig their graves with their teeth”. People are consumed with wanting more and more rather than knowing what they need in life. The human race constantly carries on this pattern of greed. A theme of greed is shown in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible.

Greed In The Silmarils And The One Ring

In a perfect world, there would be no source of greed, no desire for things that have no true value on their own. However, in Arda, just as in our world, greed will always exist because of a desire for power coupled with outside forces of corruption: notably, Morgoth and Sauron. As a result of the lies of these two characters, the Silmarils and the One Ring became the cause of corruption, betrayal, and death. With the creation of the Silmarils, Elves began to love “too well the work of [their] hands and the devices of [their hearts]” and forgo their loyalty to the Valar.

Greed In 'The Necklace, Civil Peace, And The Necklace'

We are greedy. We as humans cling to the materialistic things in our lives. Some of us have everything we need to live a perfectly comfortable life, but keep wanting. Greed controls almost everyone, no matter how many possessions we have in our name. In this, when our greed exceed our needs, we lose sight of what is important, leading to our detriment.

Odysseus And Greed In Homer's The Odyssey

“Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.” -Erich Fromm ‘The Odyssey’ by Homer, follows the story of Odysseus, a great Greek hero. It tells of his venture to Troy, to lead his army in the Trojan War, and his separation from loved ones and his kingdom for twenty years. However, the novel mainly focuses on the story of his homecoming and all he, and many others, had to endure while he was returning from abroad.

Examples Of Greed In The Odyssey

Greed can be a good thing if it is used for the right reasons. For example, greed can be the key that leads to success. If a person wants to achieve recognition, they’ll go extreme measures to make it happen such as inventing something, excelling in their studies, or even being the best. However, in most cases, greed can lead to disaster. Having the desire to obtain something a person already possesses is selfish.

Theme Of Ambition And Greed In Macbeth

Ambition and Greed is clearly outlined in the tragedy “Macbeth” from Duncan, Banquo, and

Greed In The Maltese Falcon

Greed is an “Intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food” (Oxford Dictionary). In The Maltese Falcon, everyone has the aspirations of finding the falcon for themselves. This is the driving force behind the murders, and betrayals many of the characters commit. Brigid, Cairo, Wilmer, and Gutman all seek the falcon for the same reason, the unimaginable wealth it will bring them. Possessing this rare object seems to consume them and they will do anything to get their hands on it.

Examples Of Greed In Christmas Carol

Christmas Greed Greed is the one thing that everyone in the world has in common. Greed can cause cause someone to be selfish and hurt those around them as a result. Bad greed causes people and others around them to get hurt. Greed can change a person’s personality.

Greed In The Gilded Age Essay

But with great responsibilities come great consequences, the consequence of greed is people seeing greed to be the same as being selfish. Despite this, the

Theme Of Greed In Hamlet

Claudius is a perfect example of greed. He killed the king in order to obtain the throne. As it said in the book ¨murder most foul, as in the best it is, but this most foul, strange, and unnatural.¨ Claudius was greedy and wanted what his brother had. Instead of

Examples Of Greed And Love In The Great Gatsby

Greed and love, in most cases go hand in hand. People will sometimes become jealous when a loved one show affection or chooses someone else over themselves. This in many cases can drive a person to horrible or outrageous things this fact is one of the main parts in the novel The Great Gatsby. This can be summed up by one sentence and used as a theme statement and that sentence is “sometimes people will do anything to get what they want. Daisy is a prime example of how sometimes people will do anything to get what they want.

Greed Quotes In Macbeth

“There is a sufficiency in the world for man 's need but not for man 's greed.” This quote was spoken from a wise Indian activist, what he says is a correlation towards the rising greed aspect of the character Macbeth. This play Macbeth was about a soldier who became greedy with power. It is about Macbeth’s Tyrant display when he kills Duncan and orders Banquo to be killed and other violent acts.

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Greed: The Ultimate Addiction

What’s the unquenchable thirst for wealth all about.

Posted October 17, 2012 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

What connects the various addictions is that enough is never enough—not for long anyway. As addicts progress (or rather, regress ) into their addiction , to derive sufficient gratification they must constantly seek more and more of their drug of choice. For “more” is the keyword of addiction. It doesn’t matter whether they’re addicted to a substance, relationship, or activity—the “ante” for getting enough of the object of their craving must continually be raised.

But of all the things one might be addicted to, nothing tops the greed-laden pursuit of wealth in its audacity, manipulativeness, and gross insensitivity to the needs and feelings of others. Not to mention its extreme, short-sighted, irresponsible covetousness. Ask a multi-millionaire or billionaire so afflicted (if you can find one willing to talk to you!), and you’ll discover that their “mega-fortune quest” really has no end point. They won’t be able to name the definitive “millionth” or “billionth” that, finally, will do it for them. They can’t because the means by which they reap their riches has itself become the end.

Chasing every financial opportunity—and, it cannot be overemphasized, to the detriment of virtually everything else in their life—has become their be-all and end-all. For that, frankly, is where the dopamine is: the master molecule of pleasure and motivation . And the “end” for them is simply the high (or dopamine release) they receive each time they do a deal, turn a profit, or make a “killing.” And just like other addicts, over time (because of the related phenomena of tolerance and dependency) they’ll need to make bigger and bigger “killings” to get the ego gratification they require in order to feel good about themselves.

In general, their “money high” has to do not just with feelings of fiscal elation but with a kind of self-inoculation. What perpetual wealth production inoculates them against are underlying, and barely recognized, feelings of distress—such as depression , anxiety , guilt or shame —which stem from a belief that deep, deep down they may not be good enough at all. So greater and greater financial success is required to help them sustain their cherished illusion that they really are superior—in economic terms, vastly superior—to others: a most convenient narcissistic “fix” for whatever subterranean doubts they may yet harbor about themselves.

On an ethical level, the worst thing about their pursuits is that their mercenary, ego-driven achievements frequently do considerable damage to others and their prospects. Not always but typically those who might be called “greed addicts” aren’t in the professions or creative Arts, but in business: entrepreneurs, investors, speculators, lenders, CEOs. And most often their successes contribute little or nothing to society. Rather, their undertakings are cunningly contrived to transfer money out of the pockets of others and into their own. Exceedingly competitive and aggressive, they’ll take ruthless advantage of every opportunity to turn a profit—and not shy away from turning against others in the process.

To them luxuries (“my Ferrari...my yacht...my estate...my penthouse...”) are necessities. They all make them look good—and appearances are one of their foremost considerations. For material acquisitions can wondrously mask (both from others and from themselves) woeful deficits in their core self-image .

Still, it should be stressed that whatever appetite they may have for “things,” their interminable lust for making money really doesn’t have that much to do with tangible purchases. Contrasted with spending addicts (a compulsion that drives such over-the-top consumers—or shopaholics—into unmanageable debt), greed or wealth addicts are hardly focused on depleting or disbursing their fortune but on acquiring and maintaining it. Unconsciously linking their fundamental human value to their financial worth, what drives their behavior is accumulating as much wealth as possible—and then using it to acquire still more wealth. (And this is why they’re apt to become suicidal should they experience a severe economic reversal. For it feels as though they’ve been stripped of all personal value).

It’s been said that “you never get enough of what you don’t really want.” With people addicted to pursuing wealth, their overwhelming, insatiable passion isn’t about getting rich—but richer... and still richer . And it’s unquestionable that this is not a virtuous cycle but a markedly vicious one. Ultimately, their heart’s desire—tragically unknown to them—isn’t for wealth at all, but for love, emotional intimacy , unconditional acceptance (and self-acceptance), and “rich,” satisfying relationships. Regardless of how obscenely wealthy they may become, these are all things that, alas, cannot be purchased with money.

The final debacle of their pursuit isn’t simply that their monetary accomplishments can’t ever bring them the lasting happiness and peace of mind they secretly crave. It’s that their futile quest generally causes all sorts of misfortune to others...As well as to our environment (which they blithely ignore), and to our nation—whose misregulated capitalistic system regrettably supports their ceaseless avaricious ventures.

Note: Here’s a link to an earlier post of mine in PT that complements this one: “The Pursuit of Happiness—or the Quest for Wealth.”

© 2012 Leon F. Seltzer, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

I invite readers to join me on Facebook and to follow my psychological/philosophical musings on Twitter .

Leon F. Seltzer, Ph.D. , is the author of Paradoxical Strategies in Psychotherapy and The Vision of Melville and Conrad . He holds doctorates in English and Psychology. His posts have received over 53 million views.

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Definition Essay On Greed

Show More What is greed, greed is an intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food. Everyone has greed you can’t stop it or hide it, let’s say if you go to subway and see a old homeless man begging for food but you decide not to get him anything because you’re hungry even though he probably hasn’t eaten in days and that is what greed is. A good example of greed is pro sport players and there greed with money and actions many sports players make millions of dollars a year and keep it all to themselves and don’t help out anybody by donations to charity’s they don’t care about the people or the sport itself it’s all about the money but that’s not right, the people are the ones who make the money for them and if you get

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35 Greed Examples (That will make you mad!)

Greed is the desire to have everything for yourself and to prevent others from having a fair share. People are usually greedy for resources, money, or power.

Causes of greed include egocentrism, insecurity, and individualism. It’s a sign that you can’t empathize with others and are self-absorbed. It can harm other people, prevent them from having the resources they need to be happy and successful, and may cause poverty and hardship for others.

A simple example of greed is a child not sharing with other children in class. An extreme example is a government official taking taxpayers’ money to buy a mansion.

Simple Examples of Greed

1. Paying your workers a very low salary while making millions yourself.

2. Hiding leftover food from other people while they’re starving so you can eat it later.

3. A student refusing to share their pens with others even though they have more than enough.

4. Making an unfair deal with someone purely because they’re desperate.

5. Taking more than your turn on a theme park ride because you’re having fun while other people are left waiting and don’t get a turn.

6. A child who invites his friends over then plays video games all day long and doesn’t let his friends have a turn.

7. Firing long-time employees just to save a few dollars while making billions yourself.

8. Exploiting natural resources without regard for future generations or the environment.

9. Cheating people in business deals or stealing from them outright.

10. Taking all the firewood in a campsite to have a huge fire while all the other campers don’t get to have a fire because there’s no wood left.

11. Continuing to hoard money when you’ve got more than you could ever spend.

12. Prioritizing food, money, or other commodities over your family and their happiness.

13. Taking someone to court for a crazy amount of money simply because you think you can get a lot of money out of them.

14. Marrying someone for their money rather than for love.

15. Not telling your friends where you got the free icecream from because you want it all for yourself.

16. Taking all of the credit for the success of a group project and not acknowledging the hard work of the rest of your group.

17. Signing up for government food stamps even though you secretly have a lot of money hidden away.

18. Being more concerned with your individual happiness than other people’s basic needs.

19. Sitting on the last seat left on the train when elderly people are standing and in need of a seat.

20. Seeing someone drop their wallet and taking the money out of it instead of handing it back to its rightful owner.

21. A person who evades their personal income tax responsibility. While they may say “well, the government was going to waste it anyway”, the truth is that everyone needs to contribute their fair share in order to keep the roads maintained and keep the fire stations open.

22. A government official who takes hard-earned taxpayer money and hides it away to use on himself instead of spending them money on improving social services.

23. Inflating the price of life-saving medications just because you know people desperately need them and you want to get rich.

Real-Life Greed Examples

24. European Colonial Period – From the 15th to 19th Centuries, the Western European nations (namely Portugal, Spain, France, Holland, and Britain, among others) raced to conquest the world. During this period, they subjugated native populations and committed heinous acts all in the name of becoming the most powerful nation and controlling the whole world.

25. The Toilet Paper Incident of 2020 – When the global lockdowns happened in 2020, people flocked to the shops to hoard toilet paper. People took far more than they personally needed out of fear that it would run out eventually. These people’s panic shopping prevented others from getting toilet paper and caused the problem that they feared: artificial toilet paper shortages worldwide. Stores started limiting how much toilet paper people could buy at once. I remember in late 2021, after all the commotion calmed down, walking past a neighbor whose garage was open. They had floor-to-ceiling stockpiles of toilet paper that would last them years. Meanwhile, others went without.

26. Laisez-Faire Capitalism – Untethered capitalism encourages people to be greedy. The only thing that matters in hyper-capitalistic societies is who has the money. People with money can buy things like healthcare, better education, and just about any product or service. Meanwhile, poor people (who are often in desperate need) miss out because they are pushed to the back of the line. While capitalism can be great for creating market efficiency and lowering proces, it also encourages greed and allows greedy people with money to trample over the poor and needy without feeling guilty – “it’s just how capitalism works!”.

27. Anti-Competitive Market Behaviors – Big companies can make smaller companies go bankrupt by using anti-competitive behaviors. This allows them to hoard all the profits and forces the little guy out of business. For example, a large and profitable online retailer could sell products at artificially low prices temporarily until their competitors can no longer compete. Once the competitors are gone, the large online retailer raises prices, and gets all the profits because they’re the only people selling the product!

28. The 2008 Financial Crisis – One of the factors causing the 2008 financial crisis was the liberalization of mortgage lending. Banks would give out mortgages to people who should not have qualified for a mortgage. The banks did this because they were greedy. They wanted more and more people locked into paying them loan repayments for the rest of their lives! But the banks’ greed came back to bite them in 2008 when so many people couldn’t pay back their mortgages that many banks and insurance firms went bankrupt, causing a global financial crisis.

29. Riba Anasiya – In Islam, there is a belief that charging interest on loans in immoral because it’s the greedy taking advantage of the needy. They use the term riba anasiya to refer to this practice. In many Islamic countries, charging interest on loans is prohibited.

30. Imelda Marcos – The wife of former Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos is reported to have gone on $5 million shopping sprees and owned 3000 pairs of shoes. All the while, the people of her country lived in abject poverty throughout the Marcos dictatorship.

31. Charles Ponzi – The inventor of the Ponzi scheme, Charles Ponzi would ask investors to give him money and he would guarantee a 15% return on their money. He was never able to give that return, so he got more people to give him money, which he used to repay the first people (and spend on himself!). This scheme relied on him swindling money off more and more people rather than actually investing it. His lust for money overcame him, but was his eventual downfall when people caught wind of what he was doing.

Examples of Greed in Movies and Literature

32. Veruca Salt (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) – When Veruca Salt hears that Willy Wonka is giving away golden tickets hidden in chocolate wrappers, she gets her father and his employees to buy out the chocolate bars until they find a ticket. She wins a ticket and gets to go to visit the chocolate factory. In the factory, she sings of her greed: “I want the world. I want the whole world. I want to lock it all up in my pocket.” But fortunately Willy Wonka sees her greed and expels her from the factory.

33. Smaug (The Hobbit) – Smaug is a dragon and the antagonist in the book The Hobbit . Smaug raids the kingdom of Erebor and steals all the gold. He then hoards it deep in a mountain where he hides for 150 years. Due to this, Thorin (a dwarf and protagonist in The Hobbit ) describes him as “a most spectualarly greedy, strong, and wicked worm.”

34. Jordan Belfort (The Wolf of Wall Street) – This film follows a man, Jordan Belfort, in his early 20s who starts out in an entry-level job on Wall Street. As Belfort gets a taste for money, he starts taking riskier and riskier bets. He oversteps the line when he starts defrauding investors in order to feed his greedy desire for money.

35. Ebenezer Scrooge (The Christmas Carol) – Ebenezer Scrooge had more money than heart. He wouldn’t give his employees time off for Christmas and refused to donate to charity! But, thankfully, the book (and movie) embraces the Christmas spirit and gives him a chance to reform his ways.

The Causes of Greed in Society

1. resource scarcity and insecurity.

Resource scarcity refers to the fact that there are only finite numbers of resources in this world. In fact, there’s often not enough to go around.

As a result, people scramble to gather enough resources to care for and protect themselves. They feel insecure about their futures because they worry the tap will run dry.

So, many people don’t just stop when they have enough to fill their stomachs – they hoard resources for their future, which often prevents others from having any resources right now. This leads to hunger and poverty for some and wealth and riches for others.

2. Narcissism and Egocentrism

Narcissism is the extreme belief in your own self-importance and lack of empathy for others. For narcisists, it doesn’t matter what happens to anyone but themselves. They want to be the best and the most powerful.

At the core of narcissism is egocentrism. This is a behavior where you can only see things from your own perspective. You don’t think about how others feel or what they need.

3. Individualism in the West

In Western cultures like my own, individualism is prioritized over the common good. This has many great benefits and has caused great prosperity throughout much of society.

People are encouraged to desire money, fame and power. This motivates them to go out there and produce products, start businesses, and find ways to sell their time and skills to the highest bidder. It generates a lot of industry and money.

But, it also causes people to forget to care for the vulnerable around them.

Sadly, too many people in Western society have used an ideology of individualism to wash their hands of the need to ensure others in their communities have healthcare, homes, and food.

Unfortunately, greed is all around us. But reflecting on the definition of greed and exploring some examples, we can reflect on our own behaviors and whether we’ve been compassionate enough lately. By showing compassion and sharing with the people around us, we may have less power, resources, and money, but we will have a community to care for us and a greater sense of purpose in life. You’ll probably feel much better about yourself as a person as well!

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 15 Animism Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 10 Magical Thinking Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Social-Emotional Learning (Definition, Examples, Pros & Cons)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ What is Educational Psychology?

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