Rigsy I really don't think the poor are driven by envy or ambition.. where envy and ambition seems to show up most is among the rich. The poor are driven more by survival. One up-man-ship is really pure envy and the the scale is dependant on the amount of wealth. Allan
On Mon, Dec 27, 2010 at 3:28 PM, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > Thank you for clarifying your remark, Don. I think we agree. The > "poor" may be driven by envy or ambition- which one makes a > difference- and even the rich can succumb to envy or a perpetual > contest of one-upsmanship. Money is an interesting topic for family > histories- follow the money! Cherchez la femme! :-) > > On Dec 25, 7:54 pm, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: > > Balanced is good, rigs. I was thinking about those that live Spartan > lives > > and judge the rest of us for our excesses. Bland food and sleeping on the > > floor are not for me. I didn't mean to criticize those that do prefer > these > > things for discipline or whatever but I suppose it came out like that. I > > have noticed that some 'poor' people do plenty of judging of those of us > > that have stuff and I resent it. I guess that came out a little. > > > > dj > > > > > > > > On Thu, Dec 23, 2010 at 6:28 AM, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > 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 -- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - -- ( ) I_D Allan If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
