Man's greed is insatiable. It has no end. A person becomes attached to his money. All his thoughts are constantly focused on the safe with money and a bunch of keys to it. Money for him is his blood and the only meaning of life.

Sometimes people are surprised by the changes happening to their loved ones. Was normal person, and now he started dragging old trash into the house. You can't persuade a burnt out light bulb to be thrown away.

His mezzanines are filled with things that have long since expired; he is very upset when he loses a few rubles; it is difficult to persuade him to spend any amount to please himself or his loved ones. This property is popularly called greed.

Since ancient times, greed has been considered a human vice, so few people admit to such a shortcoming. A negative attitude towards this property is reflected in all world religions.

In this article we will try to figure out who has this feeling and for what reason. Let's try to understand where this desire for hoarding and reluctance to spend money even on necessary things came from.

What is greed?

Explanatory dictionaries define greed as stinginess, self-interest, acquisitiveness, avarice, the desire to get as much as possible, to have much more than is necessary. As you can see, this collective concept consists of several components.

Greed is the inability to let go of anything from oneself, it is a state of disharmony, dissatisfaction and condemnation of any manifestations of generosity. Constant internal dissonance gives rise to such a person’s fear of life and the desire to have more and more in order to ensure psychological safety. He perceives life as something hostile, because it can burst in, open windows, doors and take everything away.

Money is the biggest accumulator of human greed (Mavrodiy Sergey Panteleevich)

There are many cases where people who own a large bank account live in an apartment that has not been renovated for several decades, and even with the heating turned off in order to save money. This is, of course, an extreme expression of greed. But it also occurs quite often.

Greedy people in everyday life

It is difficult to live with a greedy person. He constantly pesters his household with comments about light bulbs not being turned off and taps not being properly closed, because these are unnecessary expenses. It forces you to save on everything, even on groceries.

He doesn't allow anything to be thrown away, and the house ends up filled with old household appliances, absolutely unnecessary things, out-of-fashion clothes. He adds something he found somewhere to his junk, explaining that it will come in handy someday.

If he finds a ruble on the street, he feels happy. This is a replacement for real happiness, which comes from realizing oneself in society. Unfortunately, we have people who have completed their labor activity, are confined to their own small interests. At best, they are busy raising their grandchildren or working on their summer cottages.

These people have at least some kind of realization and therefore remain normal. Those who are deprived of even this have deficiencies that are manifested by changes in personality traits that are not for the better.

As a result, such people's relationships with loved ones deteriorate, who are forced to endure their quirks and the inconveniences they cause. They become uninteresting to others, because their interest has shrunk to one thing: “Neither spend nor miss.”

It should be noted that this does not happen to everyone. Only people with the skin vector “get sick” from greed. This is the other side of people who, by their nature, are earners, organizers, legislators, inventors, engineers, businessmen, that is, all those who make our lives comfortable and allow us to satisfy almost any need.

This is how they become in a developed and realized state. If the most developed skin person is deprived of the opportunity to realize his properties or if he falls into stress, then we will get its opposite. So under the influence severe stress he may even start stealing for a while or become a spendthrift and start shopping aimlessly.

Spiritual Consequences of Human Greed

This passion for acquisitiveness is an extremely significant obstacle to spiritual improvement, since it is the main catalyst for the creation of negative karma.

Christ said that a camel would rather go through the eye of a needle than a rich man would enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Constant concern for earthly goods distracts attention from higher aspirations, weakens sublime inclinations, corrupts a person and makes him a slave of circumstances. That is why people who sought to understand higher plans preached renunciation of material wealth.

Greed often hides a thirst for leadership. People of the pedantic type are very prone to hoarding. A pedant can become a miser or a rationally frugal person. Often people of this type are passionate collectors: as children they collect stickers and stamps (and their albums are very neatly decorated), and as adults they can collect anything within their capabilities.

Human greed is often generated by a lack of love and warmth in childhood. However, it can also be a karmic illness brought from past lives. You can get rid of greed only when a person changes the entire value system and begins to build relationships within the family and society in a new way.

Greed is a common character quality, the nature of which is still not clear, and psychologists and psychotherapists still debate its causes.

Greed refers to excessive stinginess or a person’s inability to perform selfless acts. This character quality is also known under other names - greed, stinginess, third

To simplify, we can say that at the everyday level, being greedy is terrible. Why? Our article will answer this question.

Where does greed come from? Types of Greed

Psychologists have found that greed has its origins in early childhood. The more parents limit their child, the higher the likelihood of developing a tight-fisted character. For example, you do not listen to your child’s wishes or constantly force him to endure. The child absorbs this pattern of behavior and will copy it in the future.

There are two types of greed: healthy and unhealthy. Healthy greed refers to reasonable savings caused by a person’s modest income. The second type is unhealthy or hypertrophied greed. A person infected with the spiritual virus of greed is unhappy and looks comical from the outside. It’s funny to look at a wealthy individual who is constantly looking for benefits and is afraid to spend an extra penny.

Greed is a symbiosis of stinginess and greed

Defining the third vice is not so easy. We can say that a greedy person is one in whom greed and stinginess coexist. The first is understood as a desire to constantly increase one’s benefits, while the second, on the contrary, is a painful attitude towards spending. It turns out that being greedy is terrible; a person not only strives for profit, but is also afraid to spend an extra penny.

Continuing the theme of stinginess, we can say that this concept is close in meaning to prudence and stinginess. They are not yet greed, but can turn into it if the desire not to spend money becomes obsessive.

However, clever man is able to see the dangerous line and realize that it is time to think about his attitude towards material wealth.

Being greedy is terrible. Why?

In our capitalist era, it is difficult to find a person who is not prone to greed. Especially when success is equated with material wealth. Of course, the desire to have enough money for a decent standard of living is normal.

But being greedy is terrible. "Why?" - the reader will ask. Yes, because this quality of character does not allow a person; it squeezes the soul, like a boa constrictor, and prevents him from breathing freely.

• Constant savings on yourself. A stingy person counts every penny; he cannot relax and at least sometimes not think about how much he spent.
• Greed gives birth to always notices more wealthy people. He does not feel sincere joy for his friend - in his heart he envies him.
• Self-interest. A greedy person comes from personal gain: he is incapable of doing good deeds just like that, without expecting anything in return.

To summarize, we can say that being greedy is terrible, because a stingy person does not bring happiness to himself or other people.

How to overcome greed?

Make sure you truly understand that being greedy is terrible. Anyone can write an essay on this topic if they think carefully. For some, it will allow them to see themselves from the outside and laugh heartily, and perhaps reconsider their value system.

Simple rules will help you become a more harmonious person and get rid of greed:

• Do good deeds for nothing, without expecting anything in return.
• Learn to sincerely enjoy the successes of other people.
• Help your friends if you have the opportunity.
• Enjoy life without thinking about finances, at least during your vacation.
• Thank people for good attitude to you, and for small surprises.
• Develop self-irony.
• Remember that happiness is not measured by money, happiness is

Money plays an important role in the life of our modern day. They are a tool with the help of which a person is free to perform certain actions. Feel free to do something nice for your friends and family. A generous person is, by definition, happy, and it has long been proven that the giver always gets double back.

Always remember that being greedy is terrible. Why, you know.

Mahatma Gandhi

Greed is far from the most attractive trait in human character. Excessively greedy people are generally perceived negatively by society. And for them, their greed can cause a lot of problems. Sometimes the behavior of a greedy person is not only ugly and therefore it pushes other people away from him, but also absolutely meaningless, and even very harmful for himself. However, greed is inherent in all people to one degree or another. And this is no coincidence. Nature would not endow a person with qualities that he absolutely does not need. And since we are all destined to be greedy by nature, then let’s find out why and why. There are two types of greed: aggressive greed and fear-driven greed. I’ll say right away that these are my own conclusions on this issue, based on my detailed study of the behavior of greedy people. Therefore, everything you learn about greed from this article may, to some extent, not coincide with what other psychologists and other specialists write about it in their articles and books. But at the same time, your point of view on such a personality quality as greed will definitely become much broader and richer after reading this article.

What is greed? Greed is an overly aggressive desire of a person to appropriate for himself as much as possible of all kinds of benefits, both material and intangible. We can talk about various things, money, food, pleasures, power, information, attention and so on. Everything a person may need - he wants to have it infinitely. large quantities if he is greedy. Greed is also a desire to accumulate, a reluctance to share, as well as a desire not to lose, to preserve, to preserve what is available. Unlike frugality, greed is often meaningless when, for example, a person saves something, say, the same money, to his own detriment, and not to his benefit. In general, greed can cause many problems to a person when it is not realized and controlled by him, so it definitely needs to be curbed so that one does not lose clarity of mind because of it. I will not say that greed must be eradicated in the bud, as a quality absolutely unnecessary for a person. My study this issue shows that greed can also be useful, not frugality, but greed. Moreover, we are all at least a little greedy. But it is not always useful, and especially not in those cases when a person is completely in its power. Below I will tell you about why a person is greedy and what benefits greed can have.

Aggressive greed

Aggressive greed is the same quality of a person as vanity and ambition. This is the deep motivation of an individual to achieve great results. You and I, as smart people, understand that greed is given to us by nature so that we have a better chance of surviving in this world, including by achieving greater and greater results. Aggressive people who never have enough are, without a doubt, much more likely to achieve success in life than those who are content with what they have achieved. Therefore, when you evaluate the actions of a person, always remember that first of all, natural instincts manifest themselves in him when he behaves in one way or another. This will allow you to understand what motivates this or that person to a greater extent - aggression or fear. Aggressive greed is expressed in a person’s uncontrollable desire to satisfy some of his desires, in acquiring even greater benefits, regardless of what he already has. For such a person, the appetite comes while eating - he wants more and more, he always has not enough of everything. First, give such a person a new “trough”, otherwise the old one is completely split, and then he already wants to be the mistress of the sea, and this is not the limit. Therefore, such a person will never stop, or better said, will never get enough.

This is not always bad and not always good. Being an aggressively greedy person is generally beneficial. After all, in this world, aggressors and invaders have always achieved more than those who led a mediocre life. But you must always make sure that your aggression is not too straightforward, that is, one for which you can pay dearly. After all, you can strive for more different ways- you can push through like a tank until some obstacle stops you, or you can strive for more by carefully and competently skirting obstacles, and with less resistance and a greater degree of probability, achieve what you want. So, on the one hand, aggressive greed makes a person more ambitious and purposeful - it gives him strength and energizes him. But on the other hand, it clouds the mind and makes a person less prudent, less cautious, less pragmatic. Such greed has ruined many people because they were unable to control it with their minds, and it pushed them to their limits, after which they fell prey to it. Therefore, of course, you can and should want more, but at the same time you need to balance your desires with your capabilities. We all have limited strength.

Greed driven by fear

But greed caused by fear, although it does not exclude a person’s desire to have as much as possible, but at the same time, the emphasis is on the desire to preserve what he already has. In this case, fear encourages a person to hold on to everything he has, and due to his lack of confidence in his own capabilities, he is afraid of losing even what he doesn’t really need. In fact, friends, aggressive greed is also fundamentally a product of fear, since aggression itself is the other side of fear. More precisely, behind greed there is always fear, only it manifests itself in different ways - in one case a person is very afraid of losing something, afraid of parting with something, and in another, he tries to drown out his fear by striving for more. After all, if you think like this, then a simple and obvious question arises - why do we need to have more than what we already currently have and what we objectively need? Okay, if a person has little of everything, if he lives on the edge of survival, his greed can still be understood, he is really scared. But when a person has a lot of everything, but he still can’t calm down and furiously strives for more, this can cause bewilderment in some people. Such greed is difficult to understand. But probably. After all, the most the best way getting rid of the fear of losing the benefits you have is to increase them. In addition, we should not forget about the pleasures that we all strive to obtain in our lives. After all, no matter what you say, greed helps a person receive great pleasure when, with its help, he acquires the desired benefits.

Pain and pleasure are what drive us. Greed allows us to avoid pain and helps us experience pleasure, depending on what we want more at one time or another in our lives. Usually, fear of losing something stronger than desire get something. Therefore, for the vast majority of people, greed is a means of getting rid of fear when, as mentioned above, not wanting to lose what they have, they strive to get more. Fear makes many people greedy. But greed does not always help improve life; more often than not, it makes it worse. And all because a greedy person does not control himself, he is not aware of his actions when he gives in to the feeling of greed.

And yet greed is needed, both aggressive and that which is caused by a feeling of fear. Our life is designed in such a way that there must always be some kind of change in it; it cannot, because it should not, always be stable and unchanged. And if not one thing, then another will cause these changes. Greed is one of those incentives that forces a person to change his life. It is good that when a person is aware of his greed, then he can make the necessary changes in his life more thoughtfully. Well, if there is no awareness, if the feeling of greed blinds a person and forces him to act thoughtlessly, then the consequences of his actions are quite difficult to calculate. They often lead a person to extremely negative consequences. I will tell you below about the harm greed can cause to a person. But first, let's talk in more detail about how it benefits us. Still, we must clearly understand what greed gives us in order to benefit from it.

The benefits of greed

So, the benefit of greed lies in the fact that a person driven by it, as we have found out, always strives for more, he does not stop there and is constantly aimed at a greater result. This allows greedy people, whose greed is based primarily on aggression rather than fear, not only to preserve the benefits they have, but also to acquire new ones. As for the greed that is caused by fear, it is useful in that it allows people to hold on to the vital goods they have when they are not confident in their capabilities. Even if it often doesn’t look very nice, sometimes even disgusting, greedy people often turn out to be more resistant to all sorts of shocks that can seriously harm their well-being. Sometimes a saved penny or a saved piece of bread can come in very handy in a difficult situation, when the fate of a person, as well as his family members, depends on even a small amount of resources.

A greedy person always takes the resources he has very seriously, as well as those resources that do not yet belong to him. The slight madness into which he falls, being possessed by a feeling of greed, contributes to the fact that he persistently pursues his goals, trying at all costs to preserve what he has and/or get even more. We must admit that if we weren’t all a little greedy, we would be less tenacious. It's my personal opinion. And then, if not for greed, life itself would be less dynamic. After all, some people, as they say, burn because of greed, others achieve impressive results, and still others survive. All this makes life less predictable, more intense and, of course, very interesting. Greed gives every person a chance to improve their life. After all, on the one hand, a person can take advantage of the greed of other people when they lose their heads because of it, and on the other, he can achieve impressive success in life due to the burning desire to have more of what he already has. So while some people lose everything they have due to greed, others gain it. And life does not stand still - something changes in it all the time.

I have long been convinced that motivation plays the most important role for a person in this life. Not knowledge, not the ability to use it, not something else, but motivation - which makes a person active, which pushes him to learn something new and to work. You can be talented, but lazy, you can be very smart and know a lot, be able to do a lot, but do nothing, strive for nothing, want nothing. Without motivation, without incentive, no matter what society you live in, even if it is saturated with everything the most useful information– you will achieve nothing. And it doesn’t matter what pushes a person forward - fear, greed, aggression, sexual desire, curiosity - the main thing is that the person is “alive”, that he strives for something. Otherwise it is not a person. Our life takes on additional meaning when we do something, strive for something, want something, are charged for something, when our eyes sparkle and we are interested in living. And let greed not be the best source internal energy, not the most ethical incentive, not the most beautiful motivation - if the person driven by it “lives”, if he is full of plans and ideas, if he is active and purposeful, then it is definitely useful for him.

The harm of greed

The harm of greed is also obvious - first of all, it is the lack of a sense of proportion in everything. If a person goes to extremes because of greed, he can lose everything, absolutely everything. Greed blinds people, it forces them to make mistakes, prevents them from making more balanced and thoughtful decisions, and does not allow them to establish normal relationships with other people. If a person is greedy, he can either be unreasonably afraid of losing everything and then inevitably lose everything, or he can overly aggressively strive to get that “nut” that is too tough for him. Greed destroys many - we all know this very well. But it also destroys those who are unable to curb their feelings and emotions when necessary. A person can be greedy, but at the same time he can be quite intelligent when reason helps him stop if necessary. But reckless greed, which most often overcomes many people, definitely harms them. Sometimes, of course, people obsessed with greed, as they say, get away with it when, despite great risk, they achieve something. But at the same time, one should always remember that people blinded by greed walk on a razor’s edge and anything can happen in their lives, both good and bad. Often the risk that very greedy people expose themselves to is absolutely not justified.

Greed also prevents a person from competently and correctly managing his resources. If, say, he saves every penny, fearing once again spend money, then it is quite possible that in this way he causes serious harm to himself and his family, depriving them of necessary resources. Because of greed, by the way, some families break up. A person can sometimes be unbearably greedy, so it is simply impossible to live with him. And at the same time, it doesn’t matter at all how much or how little money he has, because everyone can be greedy - both rich and poor. In general, greed caused by fear is sometimes so reckless that a person is ready, as they say, to hang himself for some little thing that he does not need at all. Having millions and even billions, people can deny themselves the right things, sparing money on them to your own detriment. Such cases are known. This kind of greed is definitely not good for a person. But it causes him a lot of harm.

How to deal with greed

To cope with greed you need to recognize it. This is the best thing you can do with it. You just have to know that you are a greedy person - this is the most important thing. Then you need to understand what exactly is causing your greed - aggression or fear. If it is aggression, then in this case you need to think about the consequences to which your greed can lead you. That is, you need to correctly assess the risk you are taking when you strive for more. You don’t need to give up the desire itself—you just need to implement it competently. Perhaps it is not so much the desire to receive more benefits that is a problem for you, but the way in which you want to receive them. Therefore, being in calm state, think carefully about everything your greed calls you to do. You don’t need to fight it, you don’t need to resist it, you don’t need to suppress it within yourself - you just need to manage it competently. Want more? Great! This is fine. Wanting more is a completely normal and natural desire for anyone. healthy person. But wanting and being able are still two different things. You shouldn’t get into trouble out of greed, wanting to get what you want no matter what, it’s not smart. It is better to think through different ways to get what you want and choose the most acceptable ones for yourself. So analyze your behavior and identify signs of greed in it, they must be there. And then decide how best to satisfy your desires generated by greed.

If your greed is caused by fear, then you definitely need to work on your self-esteem and self-confidence. If you are afraid of losing something, it means you doubt that in the future you will be able to acquire it when you need it. Think about what and how much you need to live and how you can get it. Suppose your greed manifests itself in your unwillingness to spend the money you need to spend on things you need. So, do you doubt that you will be able to earn them in the future? Why do you doubt this? What's stopping you? What are your problems? Can they be solved? Of course they can be solved! Any problems can be solved. Do you agree? If you agree, then solve your problems. You have nothing to fear - you can always earn the amount of money you need, so don't be greedy - don't save every penny if you need to spend it. Don't deprive yourself of what you need. In this life, resources need to be used, not collected and then protected. It is pointless. You will always be able to obtain the resources you need, do not doubt it, do not doubt your capabilities. When you doubt yourself and your capabilities, it gives you a feeling of fear, which in turn makes you greedy. So don't doubt yourself. And if in doubt, then work on those weaknesses that make you unsure of your capabilities. Any weak sides can be strengthened. And as you become stronger, you can definitely get everything you need.

Thus, friends, I believe that greed is not evil, not a sin, or even a problem, but you definitely need to be able to work with this feeling. And for this it is necessary to understand it, to realize it. You yourself see that greed is inherent in all people by nature, because everyone is afraid of losing something and everyone wants to get as much as possible. But at the same time, we do not call all people greedy, because not all people show greed in an obvious negative way. Some people know how to manage it because they are aware of their greed and therefore skillfully hide it from other people, while others behave like a child whose candy was taken away, or like a real miser from whom you can’t ask for snow in winter - showing everyone his greed in the most obscene form. The only difference is this. I am sure, friends, you will be able to cope with your greed, because now you know a lot about it.

Besides the fact that a greedy person will never treat you to candy, sure sign greedy - complaints about a poor life.

A greedy person never has enough. The greedy one is trying to “get a ride for free”, buy it for a pittance. Finds excuses not to invest in the common pot when everyone chips in for some event, etc.

On a purely human level, greedy people are also quite unpleasant. I have never met greedy people who were the soul of society, witty and erudite. As a rule, these people are narrow-minded and gloomy.

I also came across “generous” greedy people. There are those who can lend you money. Of course, provided that you are constantly in their field of view. You live in a neighboring apartment, study or work together. I cursed everything in the world when I once borrowed money from a greedy person. For two days. During which all I heard was monotonous. “In general, I don’t give money to anyone. But I gave it to you because it’s you. And you, I know, will definitely return it.” Of course, I returned it and didn’t knock on that door again.

Greedy people are envious and tend to judge those who, in their opinion, waste money. (“It would be better if they gave them to me than to waste them left and right!”) Greedy people never keep pets.

The desire to “buy nickels with pennies” often drags a greedy person into various adventures of “easy money.” Those who are smarter and more far-sighted drag them into the house and “into themselves.” They raise their children in the same way.

★★★★★★★★★★

If a person is greedy, then it is immediately obvious. It manifests itself in everything: in communication, in movements, in actions.
For example, he is miserly about spending money on himself, not sparing a penny; he has expensive things (watches, clothes). I don’t mind spending money on myself.
This person is constantly looking for discounts and promotions, because getting something for free is so profitable)
He very rarely gives gifts, he tries to make gifts that will benefit him, but if he has already done so, he constantly remembers this gift, I remember his unprecedented generosity.
In the market he likes to bargain, and this leads to scandals, they say, give in more, you must give in

The main thing is not to confuse a greedy and a poor person

★★★★★★★★★★

It is quite easy to identify a greedy person.

The main thing is not to confuse greed with economy. If a person really has little money and cannot afford extra, then he will not be dressed too brightly and will not expose himself.

A greedy person, on the contrary, loves to appear self-sufficient and accomplished in front of everyone else. Most often, greedy people take out loans, buy expensive “toys” and show off, and as for everything else (quality food, relaxation, travel), this is where he begins to be stingy.

If a person is not greedy, then no matter what his income, he will always try to please his loved ones with something good, even if he does not have sufficient funds for this.

A greedy person thinks only about himself, but a generous person also thinks about friends and loved ones.

★★★★★★

It is not easy to identify a greedy person.

Personality is influenced by belonging to a certain zodiac sign, and by the presence of education, as well as upbringing, general culture and, of course, material wealth - I deliberately put it last.

Greedy people often stay in good mood, especially when they agree to go somewhere for fun with you. When paying, at the very last moment it suddenly turns out that they are limited in funds. And all this is presented calmly, without embarrassment.

Greedy people almost always set out to do something at the expense of others. Women thus extract money from men, men receive care and concern, sex, and are not averse to even “milking” the intellectual abilities of their chosen one.

Women who extract money from men sometimes don’t realize why they need so much and how much they can actually extract. They are simply accustomed to living at the expense of others. By the way, such women very often become poor and complain to you about bad life and health.

Greedy men are completely devoid of nobility. These are petty people who have learned to adapt to life’s circumstances, to be cunning and to deceive everyone. They will buy something from you for pennies, take advantage of your work and opportunities, connections, but to repay the same - no, no.

I argue that poor and disadvantaged people can be absolutely generous, not to mention non-greedy.

Greed comes from small mind. Greedy people do not know that by giving (you just need to give correctly - from a pure heart), they can get much more. But they are afraid to give, so from the outside it may seem that they are simply frugal.

★★★★★★★★★★

You can determine that a person is greedy, for example, by his type of activity.

Knowing what a person does in life, you can already have an idea of ​​how things are going with his finances. And if his occupation speaks of his comfortable existence, but he behaves stingily in everything, then he is definitely a greedy person, and greedy people are usually rich.
Also, a greedy person usually regrets everything for himself, and he may have thoughts such as “I don’t do this for myself, but should I do it for someone else?!”

A greedy person never understands hints. He simply has no thoughts about this at all. From the outside it can be seen as if he is acting like a fool.

The greedy person usually avoids conversations, or translates topics related to borrowing money from him, or asking for help with finances.

In general, this can all depend on how close you are with this person, and also his personal attitude towards you. Perhaps he is greedy with you because he simply has neutral feelings towards you. And he doesn’t see the point in spending money on you or for you.

Date: 2014-04-13