Greed Is Good?

With the cuts to Medicaid and Food Stamps, those in favor of the cuts say they are TIRED of PAYING for LAZY people to have a free ride on their tax dollars. Voices on the other side who are against the cuts say it is a lifeline for those who are struggling financially. Two sides to every story, right? Who is right? The intentions of the cuts are to STOP the waste, fraud, and abuse of the system, or is it? Is there a way to know? The other side of stopping the waste, fraud, and abuse is good old GREED. Can this be a possibility?

Who could forget the catchphrase “Greed is good” from the 1987 movie Wall Street. In the movie, Gordon Gekko says, “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good”. The phrase has become a symbol of unrestrained greed in popular culture. In the movie two handsome men, Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas, do whatever it takes to make money in the illegal and lucrative world of the stock market. The image of power and obtaining money, even if it outside of the law looks glamorous sparking a culture of people wanting to do the same in their lives. Entertainment became a goal.

The definition of greed is simple. It is the intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food. Can you identify with the definition. In today's culture the young people often say they are "getting their bag,' or "getting those coins." They have their mind on the money and money on their minds.

The 1980s saw a significant rise in this mentality, especially within the financial sector, leading to the "decade of greed" label. While the phrase "greed is good" is modern, some argue that the idea of using self-interest to drive economic progress can be traced back to earlier philosophers like Bernard Mandeville. 

Bernard Mandeville, born November 15, 1670 - January 21, 1733, was an Anglo-Dutch philosopher, political economist, satirist, writer and physician. Essentially, Mandeville called for politicians to ensure that the passions of man would result in a public benefit. It was his stated belief in the Fable of the Bees that "Private Vices by the dexterous Management of a skillful Politician may be turned into Publick Benefits". The Fable of the Bees, as a satire, the poem and commentary point out the hypocrisy of men who promulgate ideas about virtue while their private acts are vices.

In the poem, Mandeville describes a bee community thriving until the bees are suddenly made honest and virtuous. Without their desire for personal gain their economy collapses, and the remaining bees go to live simple lives in a hollow tree, thus implying that without private vices there exists no public benefit.

Mandeville presented a real-life situation in nature where to survive you must at all costs put yourself and self-gain first or you will suffer demise. This is contrary to what Christians are taught in the Bible. In Christianity, selfish desires are considered a sin. The saying there is two sides to everything holds true for every situation it seems. The deciding factor is CHOICE and CHARACTER. What will a person choose when presented two options and why.

The Bible has many verses that warn against greed, including the dangers of being obsessed with money and power.

       Ecclesiastes 5:10 "Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never                   satisfied with their income." 

       1 Timothy 6:10" For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." 

       Proverbs 28:25 "The greedy stir up conflict, but those who trust in the Lord will prosper." 

       Mark 8:36 "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" 

• Luke 12:15 "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."
• Philippians 2:3-4 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." 

The Bible teaches greed is a selfish desire to have more of something, often money or power. Greed is a gateway to every kind of evil. Generosity is a sign of a lack of greed, while stinginess and withholding are a sign of its presence. The Bible encourages contentment with what one has.

In fact, greed is one of the seven deadly sins. According to the standard list, the seven deadly sins in Roman Catholic Church are pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth, all excessives. Some economists and evolutionary theorists, however, suggest that greed is a good thing for stimulating the economy, and greed may give people an evolutionary advantage (more resources = better chances of survival).

Research has also connected greed with lower emotional stability and self-esteem, with less trust in others. As mentioned, greedier people have reported shorter romantic relationships and smaller families, and having good social relationships is crucial to wellbeing – even more so than having a good income.

Far too often, greed comes with stress, exhaustion, anxiety, depression and despair. In addition, it can lead to maladaptive behavior patterns such as gambling, hoarding, trickery, and even theft. In the corporate world, as John Grant wrote, “fraud is the daughter of greed". Research also shows that both greed and self-interest are related to more materialism, more psychological entitlement, more psychopathy, less perspective taking, and less emphatic concern, which also makes sense theoretically because both greedy and self-interested people focus on the fulfillment of their own needs.

How does it feel to be greedy?

Constant Desire for More: If you find yourself always wanting more--whether it's money, possessions, or attention--this could be a sign of greed.
Difficulty Sharing: If you struggle to share resources, time, or attention with others, it might indicate a greedy mindset.
Feeling Unfulfilled.
Prioritizing Self-Interest.
Having dreams or goals of being financially stable or even having an abundance of wealth is different from greed. Greed is intense and at ALL costs. Yes, setting goals can be good because it can help you be more focused, motivated, and successful. Goals can help you visualize your future, plan actions, and track your progress. We are limitless in the goals we may have and achieve but when they come at the expense of others is when the goals become sinful and evil in nature, and not Christian.

The Bible teaches we are to care about the welfare of others. In the Bible, "brother's keeper" is a command and a blessing. It appears in the Bible when Cain asks God, "Am I my brother's keeper?" after Cain kills his brother Abel in the book of Genesis. "Brother's keeper" is an expression that means to be responsible for helping and caring for others, even if they are not blood relatives. It can also mean to be compassionate and empathetic towards others. 

If a person works hard and achieves monetary success, they are not a greedy person. Money in itself does not make a person greedy. It is the unsatiable need for more and more even if it hurts others that defines greed. Right now, people are not able to wrap their heads around all of the cuts that are impacting them negatively. The answer as to WHY the Trump administration (Elon Musk) is slashing jobs and federal programs, to them, indiscriminately, is not satisfying. Many are holding their suspicion of GREED as the underlying answer hoping the cuts WILL benefit America and Americans. Time will definitely tell.  Fingers are crossed the administration IS its brother's keeper.