Why do you think people who have a balanced idea of needs and wants are "pious" prigs? There are plenty of mediocre rich people when it comes to talent and ideas.
On Dec 23, 12:27 am, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: > I think you are correct. We can only judge ourselves. Eating more food then > you need is gluttony, btw. Guilty. Hording might be considered greedy I > suppose if you're hording what others need now and you are unlikely to need > it for yourself and yet you still refuse to sell it to or trade to others > that need it more then you. > > Taking or buying or collecting or working for only what you need sounds like > a really boring life to me. I want more then what I need. For me and the > ones I love. If that is greed then greed is good. Settling for just what you > need all your life will leave you and yours wallowing in mediocrity and > relative poverty. I'll leave that to the pious. I'll wallow in my greed. > > dj > > On Wed, Dec 22, 2010 at 7:35 AM, [email protected] < > > > > [email protected]> wrote: > > You've had enough? Have people been calling you greedy and you > > disagree with them? > > > Greed is the desire for more than you need. You are correct I think, > > that ones needs can only really be suitably defined by the person in > > need. Art I think must be treated differanlty than say food. > > > If you have enough food and yet desire more, this is greed, easpecily > > when you have so much that most gets wasted. > > > Perhaps then we should talk in terms of supply and waste. If it your > > goal to accumilate so much money that you cannot hope to spend it all > > in your lifetime, then I would also call that greed. So intent, > > supply, and waste. > > > On Dec 12, 9:55 am, BB47 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > The word “greed” is tossed out so often and it always intrigues me > > > just what people mean by it. Just what is “greed?” Some people (no > > > names) toss this word off their fingertips all the time and frankly I > > > HAVE HAD ENOUGH. > > > > Webster defines this word as… > > > : a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (as money) than > > > is needed. > > > > Ok, let’s take a more careful look at that definition. Let’s say a > > > very rich person spends a million dollars on a painting that he just > > > loves. He thinks this painting is so remarkable, so beautiful, that > > > he is willing to buy it for a million dollars so he can look at it > > > every day in his house. Me personally? I would never spend a > > > million dollars on a painting, but that is just me. That painting, or > > > ANY painting, is not something I am interested in buying at that > > > price, even if I was filthy rich. But the things that I buy would > > > curl your hair as they might seem so “strange” to YOU, but not to me. > > > Everybody is different, and this is a very important thing to > > > consider. NOBODY can judge what another person finds important, > > > interesting, beautiful, desirable, or worthwhile. (Just look at your > > > hairstyle…smily thingee goes here) > > > > The question is…is that greed? I don’t think so. Is buying anything > > > that one does not “need” greed? Hell no! you better check your > > > inventory of your life if that is the case, you would find that every > > > human on earth is greedy, and therefore the definition is rendered > > > meaningless. The definition clearly states “an EXCESSIVE desire for > > > MORE of SOMETHING” > > > > This says to me that greed is only achieved when you already HAVE > > > “enough” of this particular “thing” and yet you want more anyway. You > > > want more than you can actually “benefit” from because you already > > > have “it” THAT is greed. When you “hoard” something for no reason, > > > and NOT when you simply “want” something that you don’t have. Wanting > > > something IS NOT GREED. Get that through your fricking head. Wanting > > > something that is not “needed” is not greed. Wanting something you > > > already have plenty of is greed. > > > > Which brings us, inevitably, to money. Money can be turned into > > > ANYTHING, so one cannot say that you have a quantity of this > > > particular one “thing” that meets the classic definition of greed, > > > UNTIL YOU CLARIFY IT. It is not “one thing” it is “anything I can > > > think of” so it must be treated slightly differently. Now, if you > > > want a billion dollars but your actual, realistic “wants and needs” > > > are only a million dollars, then you are greedy. But if you have > > > reasonable plans for every single dollar? THAT IS NOT GREED, THAT IS > > > PERFECTLY NORMAL GODDAMIT.- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text -
