There are scales of the poor- they are not all destitute- what shall we call them? Maybe our opinions are relative based on what we have read, observed and experienced. And what drives envy and ambition? Then we may need a political or historical explanation- or religious. There is quite a leap from the tombs of those honored in Egypt to the doctrines of early Christianity regarding life after death. And doesn't liberalism-progressivism, socialism and communism seek to even out the classes- and "spread the money around"? Just asking. One might also trace the recruitment of the military through history- or the history of labor, for that matter. In fact, there are many different avenues of approach- modern media and advertising, the industrial revolution, the varieties of education, the family, etc. The interplay could be interesting as envy and ambition are simply two of many human emotions/drives and outcomes are often surprising depending on a multitude of influences and factors. Also, what are the lofty or ulterior motives of those in charge- say, the aristocracy, the wealthy, the clergy, the powerful? Children arrive without a cent- usually- so it's uphill from thereon!
On Dec 28, 3:10 am, iam deheretic <[email protected]> wrote: > 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,- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text -
