Greed for Money, power and Fame
Greed is a fatal desire. Why can’t people be content with what they have? People all over the world are rushing out for wealth, power and fame. When will this vicious cycle come to an end? Humans, by nature, are greedy. They will never stop at anything until they fulfill their desires. Some even use unethical means such as exploitation to get their power and wealth. It is important to understand that the world has caring, passionate, and also egocentric people. We create and destroy. Most of the time, we are aware of our mistakes but ignore them since these actions justify our behaviorism.
Greed has become so inherent in us that we get a sense of self-worth or pride. People also believe that acquiring many things makes them live forever. It is funny how you will find an individual with many assets, some of which they never use. They want to hold the things in their presence to make them feel fulfilled in life. But do these things make a person happy? The more we crave to get, the more difficult life becomes and the more we become unhappier. An American psychologist Sheldon Solomon argues that today’s consumerism and capitalism has dire consequences. Capitalism and consumerism have created a marketing strategy that states we should not be content.
Anyone who fails to get more money, power or status is deemed a failure by society. This explains why people are diagnosed with depression every day. People have acquired low self-esteem due to failure to meet the societal status that requires people to have money. We are in a deplorable state on our planet that proves how we have been programmed to accept greed.
Lust for money will stop people at nothing when acquiring their desires. Yet, some people argue that money is what has made society thrive. They argue that people with money improve the lives of others in society. But it is not the same for everyone. Capitalism has brought about more disasters than ever. From destroying our environment to more lifestyle diseases. We are destroying the nature that we depend on for survival. You see, the only difference between nature and humans is that humans are cognitive.
The fundamental truth that hold life dearly is that life itself is impermanently filled with emptiness and suffering. Suffering is a result of continuous hanging on to things that do not matter. Humans should understand that death is real in the physical phenomenon. We can not run away from the facts. We have become addicted to yearning for more recognition. Most people strive to rise through the hierarchy ladder to be at the top of the world.
It feels so good to get so much beyond our means. We then forget there are those suffering without anything to account for in life. We even exploit resources meant to benefit the entire society for our egocentric desires. What will be the end game of this fatal desire? Most people will start to hate due to jealousy and become inhumane.
It is not evil to get wealth and status, but we should value minimalism. Minimalism enables us only to keep the things that we need and are a necessity. Having a few things to be happy about is important. We should come to terms with death and strive to find tranquillity within our life. Let us focus on finding our purpose and be greedy for more knowledge. A man once said, “only by melting the ice in the heart of man will man have a chance to change and start using knowledge wisely.”
