The Definition and Nature of Human Greed

Many people believe that the biggest problems in this world right now are poverty, religious conflicts, and even global warming. Well, it’s not. The biggest problem that people face today is greed. When people use the word “greed”, they automatically think of money. It can be defined as an intense selfish desire for wealth or positions. But what does it truly mean? The Oxford English Dictionary defines greed as “inordinate or insatiate longing, esp. for wealth; to be avaricious”. Greed is when we want more of anything, usually more than it is needed. It means unneeded excess, especially for wealth, fame, power, food, love, or material possessions. So the issue of human greed is discussed in this essay.

Every man’s need can be satisfied in this planet, but not their greed. Greed is not a financial issue, nor it is moral. The desire for getting more and more will never end. Greed is an incurable disease and a part of a human nature. Greed is one of the deadly sins that bible classifies as the characteristics of people which will lead to collapse and ruin the life. Repeatedly, Greed opens the door to other sins such as pride, envy, wrath, sloth, gluttony, etc. and we find ourselves falling into them. Greed makes people deceitful, insignificant, unlovable, unhappy, and very jealous. We will never get gratified, which will lead to the downfall of ourselves, friends, and family. Greed is an endless hole in which a person uses all his labor but never actually gets the satisfaction. Greed has a lot of classifications, such as greed for power. The Greed for power can create an aim of hurting or punishing an individual or a group. Greed for power can give the possessor a sense of control in a form of weapon which can create a negative environment. It can turn into destruction like, Adolf Hitler, a dictator, who killed about 19.3 million civilians and prisoners of war, also Jews, gypsies, and homosexuals to complete his purpose of greed of power. If we look back at history we will find an example of Alexander the Great from Greece, who conquered so many nations. He was brave, but his greed of wanting more and more lands lead to his invasion. His greed caused too much destruction. It is the food that masters us, and not us mastering the food if we are greedy for food. Greed is not just for money or for power. It can be for food. A person must eat to meet the requirements of his body and not to meet the demands of his greed. A person who grabs all the cookies in the house for himself/herself, not sharing with other family members even though he/she knows others will want some. Greed can make us sick like a kid wanting the entire cake, despite the fact he cannot eat all of it. Greed for food can make a person thief like, a person who takes the bread right out of another person’s hands to eat for himself, even though he/she sees the starving person, who do not have the enough money to buy for his food.

Finally, the greed of money is one of the most popular and universal one. As money is not effortless to get, it may lead people into dangerous places, down bad paths, and many consequences. The Greed for money can be seen in the novel of Francis Scott Fitzgerald, “The Great Gatsby” in the first place in the main character, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby’s Castle, his stylish car, and the luxurious parties that he throws are all symbols of the wealth that Gatsby owns. It is his wealth and the cravings that lead to his downfall following his death. The qualities of immorality, self-interested and arrogance can be portrayed in a person who is greedy for money. The greed for money is more dominant than any other because money means power. Therefore, money gives people the authority over the poor. Greed for money can lead people to speak lie. For example, a person who takes credit for all hard work of others at work because he/she wants a larger part of the bonus money or the prize that boss decided to give, even if he/she didn’t do anything and just lie to earn the credit.

We all know a person who is greedy, but no one will ever refer to themselves as greedy. Greed for money and power can lead people to corruption and make them a liar and can put people in dangerous places, while greed for food can make people a shoplifter and leads to more opponents. Greed can destroy the health of a person and relationship between friends and family and take them to hell as bible classifies it is a sin. Greed is the fundamental root for wars, poverty, and debt. What makes a person greedy?

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