Greed, selfishness and self-interest are the most common shortcomings of people.
Throughout the history of mankind there has been O a bunch of famous people, who, despite their greatness, were very greedy and insatiable.
Some were overcome by real attacks of greed, and they forgot one simple fact that life on this earth is not eternal.
Let's take a look at the greediest people in history.
Greedy man
Marcus Licinius Crassus
While still young, he was obsessed with wealth, which eventually became the main feature of his character. He rented land and bought slaves simply to resell them later. Because of difficult situation in Rome, connected with the provision of housing for all those in need, Crassus enriched himself.
Ancient Rome was overcrowded, and houses were at great risk of fire. A fire in one of the houses could destroy an entire block. This situation allowed for speculation, and Crassus organized teams of firefighters who saved houses from fire. After that, he bought a partially burned house for a small price, spent small renovation work and rented it out.
Greed for profit destroyed him. Crassus was killed during destructive military operations when he wanted to conquer the Parthian kingdom, which was famous for its riches. After his death, molten gold was poured into his mouth as a symbol of his greed.
Cixi, Grand Empress of Qing China
(1835-1908)
Although she began her career as Emperor Yizhu's Concubine, she managed to become the regent of the Chinese Empire and reign for almost 50 years.
Some historians consider her a cruel dictator who killed many people who, in her opinion, could threaten her power, while others believe she was benevolent and attentive to others.
It is said that she kept 3,000 boxes of her jewelry and used money from the Chinese navy to build the Marble Boat, where she dined using golden chopsticks. Cixi used her power to accumulate vast amounts of jewelry, antiques, gold bars, and money. A large number of She spent money from the treasury on herself.
Very greedy man
Henrietta Howland "Getty" Green or The Witch of Wall Street
(1834 - 1916)
Henrietta Howland Green was a genius financier of the 20th century. She lived in the USA, and after her death in 1916 she left more100 million dollars (equivalent to $20 billion today). During her lifetime she warmed up oatmeal on the radiator, because I didn’t want to spend extra money on using the stove.
She lived almost her entire life in rented apartments, and the cheapest ones, despite the fact that she was the owner of entire blocks in Chicago.
However, the most “blatant” example of her greed can be considered the case when her son had to have his leg amputated due to the fact that he I was looking for a free hospital. When she was 82, Henrietta literally had a stroke after discovering that her cook had overpaid for a bottle of milk.
About greedy people
John Paul Getty
(1892 - 1976)
Being oil tycoon and one of the richest men in the United States in the mid-20th century, John Paul Getty has always wore the cheapest suits. Moreover, he did not even want to spend money on an iron to iron his things.
In his house he saved on everything. It is also worth noting that in his own mansion he decided install pay phones (street payphones), because he was afraid that his guests were talking on the phone too much, which caused him to pay large bills.
Perhaps the most famous example greed happened to him when his grandson was kidnapped. The robbers demanded a ransom of $17 million from John Paul Getty. He categorically refused, because he believed that he had many grandchildren, but there was never too much money. After some time, he was sent a parcel containing his grandson’s ear and a lock of hair. The robbers said they would send John his grandson in pieces if he did not pay.
As a result, he paid the robbers less than 3 million, and they released the young man. And even despite the fact that Paul Getty achieved the release of his grandson, due to his injuries, the grandson became very ill, went blind, became numb and eventually died in a wheelchair.
Ingvar Kamprad
The founder of IKEA began earning his first money in primary school. Ingvar wholesale bought pencils and erasers and sold them at exorbitant prices to his classmates. Today his fortune is estimated at $28 billion.
Ingvar Kamprad liked to eat in inexpensive restaurants and fly as usual economy class passenger, ride around the city on public transport and stay in inexpensive three star hotels.
Employees of his company are required to use writing paper on both sides. All the furniture in his house is from IKEA, with the exception of his favorite chair, which is over 30 years old.
Today, the line between the concepts of thrift and greed has become almost transparent, because most people are accustomed to living from paycheck to paycheck and denying themselves in many ways, not to mention others. However, there are also quite wealthy people who are afraid to spend an extra penny. This means that they do not give expensive gifts to friends, do not take their relatives to a restaurant and do not buy luxury perfumes, despite their wealth. But at the same time, curmudgeons can be polite, well-mannered and friendly in all non-material aspects.
According to American scientists, greed is a kind of engine of progress; without it, people would learn to be content with little and would stop developing.
How to deal with greedy people?
If a friend, acquaintance, colleague or someone from your immediate circle turns out to be a stingy person, it is better to maintain a certain distance when communicating with him. In this case, it is very important not to touch upon money issues at all, for example, do not ask about salary, price new shoes or a suit, do not ask to take part in charity events, etc. Greedy man involuntarily creates a negative atmosphere around himself and pushes away those around him; as a rule, his friends can be counted on one hand. However, greed is not a death sentence; for example, an overly frugal man can be a good father, loving husband and an interesting conversationalist. Moreover, close people can strangle it negative quality with your love and understanding.Why do they become greedy?
People are not born greedy, they are made. And this can be caused by anything: improper upbringing, social discomfort, acute lack of funds, etc. It happens that greed is based on some hidden psychological problem. As a rule, such people are very unhappy, envious and lonely, because “greedy with kind soul" - a concept that is not perceived by everyone modern man. It’s interesting that some hoarders themselves don’t mind getting rid of a bad habit, but they just lack the willpower. For example, there are lonely people who spare money for themselves, but would be happy to give their significant other a worthy surprise.Chinese philosophy says that greedy people are deeply unhappy, because they cannot be satisfied with what they have right now, they are always tormented by groundless vanity.
How to get rid of greed?
If close person is not particularly generous, it is necessary to show him the correct model of behavior. For example, you can invite him to dinner at a restaurant or give him an expensive gift. This will be an excellent incentive for a response that will help get rid of greed once and for all. We should not forget that the fate of people dear to us is partly in our hands.Human greed is considered one of the seven deadly vices, folk tales all over the world they talk about greedy people, condemning this quality, raising children to be greedy. The rules of morality and kindness are known to everyone. Why then does this negative personality quality continue to exist?
The problem of human greed - why does it exist?
It is also called greed. An insatiable desire to get rich, materialism, materialism - it was branded thousands of years ago. They recognized it as the source of all troubles: theft, wars, robberies, murders, the desire to enslave others.
And although not every greedy person has power, he still makes his contribution to the treasury of global injustice. If you think about it, the entire universe is full of abundance. Everywhere you look on our planet, there is life and inexhaustible riches. If all property is distributed equally among people, everyone will be rich. But the current state of affairs is such that most of all resources, means of production, money are concentrated in the hands of a very small part of people. Less than 10% of the world's population. It turns out that hundreds and thousands work for the benefit of units and tens.
But even if we touch on the average member of society: the overwhelming majority of people show greed to one degree or another. Now you may be indignant: I am not greedy or greedy. However, you are unlikely to give up half your salary to save the life of a dying child. Yes, most people who ask are either deceiving or are not in enough need to ask. However, there are those who truly find themselves in a hopeless situation.
But if you don't go to extremes, Everyday life We can also be greedy: we eat too much, we get fat. We buy extra things that then lie and stand idle. We chase new products: phones, foreign cars, buy gold.
Is it bad to have a beautiful home and expensive things, you ask? Of course not. The main thing is that things do not become our whole life, crowding out relationships, alienating us from friends and loved ones. Often parents have no time to raise children in pursuit of material wealth. Then you shouldn’t be surprised why your children don’t come to visit you in your old age. They follow your lead.
And yet, why does greed exist? The answer cannot be clear-cut. But the root of the problem lies in the impunity of those in power and... in the limited time of our time. People know that life is short, trying to get all the material benefits from it, they forget about what is really important: happiness, peace. But at the end of his life, looking back, will a person who lived only for himself, robbing others, absorbing other people’s lives, given for pennies of the minimum wage, be happy?
Every person should think about the consequences of greed. By oneself global changes no one will do it. But here in own life you can set your own rules. And the more generous people there are, the more complete society will become.
I wish you never to suffer from the greed of others, dear readers, and to successfully cope with your own. After all, there are situations: you could have helped someone, you became greedy, and then you regret it. Although, of course, balance is needed in everything: not everyone who asks is worthy of help. I'm interested in your opinion on this matter. I look forward to interesting and informative comments.
Greedy beef... Portrait.
So, who is he - a greedy guy? What is his portrait? A kind of mean, fat, shiny bad boy, gobbling up jam in front of good, non-greedy, thin heroes. We don’t even have to strain our imagination – it helpfully provides a picture of the fat bad guy in a split second. As soon as we hear about someone’s greed, it’s ready! Do you know where this cliché comes from in our imagination? It is embedded in us. You have absorbed this image since childhood, from those very times when you looked through, grinning, caricatures of millionaires, “Mister Twisters” with huge cigars in their predatory mouths, in top hats and white spats.
It was drummed into us from the cradle that greed is bad, that greed is a vice, and sometimes a terrible curse, promising those doomed to be greedy yellow skin, wrinkled knobby hands, tangled hair and crusts of bread in basements filled with chests of gold.
But this is precisely the main misconception. People confuse greed with stinginess and stupidity. And these, as they say in Odessa, are two big differences...
Two big differences.
Stinginess is a chronic manic state, with symptoms similar to the most serious mental illnesses.
A stingy person does not move forward; his thirst for money is determined by the desire to possess it without spending anything of it. Thus, hoarding occurs for the sake of money, as an end in itself.
It is contemplation of one's own wealth through the dusty, cracked window of one's life.
There is an interesting story about people who were allowed to enter a vault and take as much gold as they could carry. So, only one was able to leave. The rest were unable to cope with the attack of the “toad”, seeing that there was more behind them than in their pockets. And this is not greed. This is basic stupidity and an inability to sensibly assess the situation.
Greed in its original, pure form pushes people towards self-improvement. Greed is perhaps the only feeling that helps people, thrown into the ocean of a stormy, merciless, imperfect life, to swim out.
And over time, transfer from their rafts to large, shiny ships...
About greedy millionaires...
This story happened to one of my close friends, to whom I came to the glorious Soviet times dad from America. Dad left his wife with a young daughter in his arms in the USSR and showed up only twenty years later.
I missed my daughter and wanted to see how she lived and how she breathed. The prodigal dad showed up as an ordinary American millionaire, the owner of several oil wells and real estate in Texas.
He did not talk about his career path, he only made it clear in his letters that for many years he “plowed like a horse.” And now, in a week, the millionaire should set foot on Soviet soil.
The daughter decided “not to lose face.” Several days flew by in search of scarce products, crystal glasses and elite alcohol. All acquaintances, all friends and girlfriends were mobilized, silver cutlery, gilded dishes and handmade tablecloths were lent.
A week passed, the day of the parent’s arrival arrived. The table was bursting with dishes unprecedented for a mere Soviet mortal, a crystal chandelier shone under the ceiling, and dad sat at the table, preoccupied with something.
Then he stood up and made a short speech. The meaning of the speech was that he was very flattered by such a reception, that he was grateful to his daughter, but surprised and depressed by her... wastefulness!
“I can imagine how much this table cost you.” And I want to say that you could very well have met me much more modestly. With this attitude towards money, you will never have it.
I think that those present drew exactly the opposite conclusions from that story. Someone thought about the wisdom of the millionaire’s words, and someone considered him... greedy!
Some time later, the daughter left for the USA and already there she fully understood the concept of rich people who do not waste a single cent...
...and about generous hungry people.
About the fact that “no one eats greedy beef” is a completely fair statement. It’s not so easy to “eat” it. It's not sweet, in other words.
In response to an offer to “help those in need,” such a person, at best, will ask to “clarify” something. Let me explain – at one time I was a regular on the forum of a journalists’ website. From time to time, advertisements appeared on the forum with requests to help certain citizens in need.
The advertisements were always placed by the same people - a woman working as a proofreader in a newspaper in a provincial town and an eternally unemployed journalist from Kyiv. They found sob stories and posted them, notifying all site visitors that they had already “donated some money.” An example, so to speak, was shown...
“We urgently need money for an operation!”
“We urgently need money for treatment!”
“We urgently need money for transplantation!!!”
One story shocked me, and I decided to transfer a certain amount to the account of the parents of a boy with leukemia.
But first, I asked a woman proofreader from a provincial town who posted an ad asking for help for the phone number of the boy’s parents.
Why do you need it?
“I want to meet them,” I explained.
- For what?
- Because I want to make sure. You see, I earn money...
And so it began! Do you feel sorry for a couple of rubles? Are you sorry for this?!!
My own children are almost starving, but I’m always ready to help!!! In such a matter, it’s a sin not to help!!! – the female proofreader was burning with righteous anger.
Sometimes I have nothing to pay my rent, but this is sacred!!! Yes, I’ll lend you a favor, but I’ll help!!! I'm not sorry! – the unemployed journalist echoed her.
I was covered with contempt, and the most offensive epithets were uttered by these two people - the eternal unemployed and the proofreader, eking out a miserable existence on a pittance salary.
I, overcome by doubts and reluctance to give the money I earned with my labor to God knows who (greed), found out some interesting facts.
Firstly, a boy with that name was not listed in any of the hospitals in the city mentioned in the appeal.
Secondly, the account indicated in the appeal appeared a year ago in the story of a girl who was hit by a tram...
Who is most willing to give to beggars on the subway, who believes in stories about “stolen things” and “sick grandmothers”, who unconditionally believes and gives their money to all sorts of scammers and scoundrels who exploit infants in underground passages? Those who barely make ends meet themselves.
I gave someone money and felt better. Like, I’m not completely bad yet. I can also help. That's how good I am...
A greedy man counts money. A greedy person will measure a hundred times before cutting off even a microscopically small part of his savings. And therefore such a person has and will have money.
Money loves him because he (the greedy one) treats it with due respect and parts with it like children leaving for summer camp. Reluctantly parting...