“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you have was once among the things you only hoped for.” - Epicurus It's so easy, yet so life changing. Multiple aspects of my life right now are far from ideal, but if I focus on what I actually do have, mostly non-materialistic, I consider myself to be very lucky and happy🥰. There is absolutely no need for always wanting more. Focus on what we do have instead of the things we don't have.
I've always maintained my own identity, objectives, and self-image even despite being with different partners over the decades. However, EVERY single instance when I ended these relationships, it was almost always because those people began to expect me to serve their needs over anything and anyone else. Most wanted my skills, resources, popularity, influence, intelligence, money, or efforts and nothing else. The more I told them "no", I was quickly loathed and despised. This was consistent over the decades. But... strange as it may sound... I've always enjoyed this situation. It constantly reminds me that 99% of humanity is *NOT* about self-enlightenment. Nope. It's about their vain, narrow-minded narcissism. Very sad, yes, but it has always reminded me what *I* am all about. Which is the complete opposite. 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨
@@Novastar.SaberCombat you sound like a cat 🐈 , personified 😹 I don't blame you for leaving your human masters who'd rather have ass-kissing dogs as pets😸
and then there are those who desire more than one partner. But do not confuse the desire for a special person to share life, with the greed of wanting to possess a person or many persons. There is a difference between desire to be a help mate to another and have that other be a help mate to you, and the desire to simply aquire someone like a possession. The first is a desire to share, contribute, and give basck as well as receive. The second is about status and conquest. It is not greedy to desire true unselfish love. It only becomes greed if your focus is on what another can do for you.
I once heard this quote "If you are not happy with what you have, you will not be happy with what you don't have", it is the truth indeed, contentment is a daily effort to shift perspectives.
Yes and that is because the brain is programmed to take things for granted, once you get more money that wealth becomes your new baseline whether you want it to be or not
True but then again it's always better to be rich than poor. You never hear rich people complain about money but you'll always hear people complain about it, while simontanously claiming they don't want it... No, I can promise you 100% that you would much rather be rich than poor, and I can also promies you it would make you a lot happier, as having a lot of money provides security and freedom. There's absolutely nothing better in the world than to wake up completely stressfree, having no worries, and not having to do anything that you don't want to do. It's the best feeling in the world, and only if you're financially free, can you have that luxury. So when people tell you "it's not all about money", they are both correct and wrong because at the end of the day, that is always what it comes down to. So yeah, get rich or die trying because it's absolutely worth it. Or you can just die poor and miserable, whatever floats your boat (:
@@True38 A better alternative is to be middle class with the basic needs met, than dying trying and working hard to be rich, superfluous things are a trap that not only add nothing to happiness but lead you into a path that will exhaust you.
If we are talking about it in a sexual context, then yes. I agree that lust is much harder to overcome than greed. I think it is that way because people forcibly try to curb it within themselves, and when they fail, they say it is 'human nature' and 'natural' and whatnot. And eventually, their entire lives begin revolving around their sexual and material desires, which fuels such sins even more. It's like a feedback loop. Yes, these feelings are natural because you and a million other people are experiencing them. But it is not normal because when left unchecked, they consume you completely as a person and lead you down dark and immoral paths, and even they fail to provide any permanent satisfaction. On that note, I also believe that the line that separates greed and lust becomes blurred the more a person indulges in these two sins, and often they are very hard to tell apart unless taken into a sexual context. I think it's this way; lust is wanting something, and greed is living under the delusion that you need something to be 'happier'. Lust is mostly about getting a physical release, and greed has more of a psychological complex that must be dismantled. In both cases, there is an intense desire for the object of fixation to the point of ruination if left unchecked.
Your videos truly changed my life. I began watching them during the pandemic. I would drive around and listen to them when everything was locked down, and I was feeling down. I always come back when I need to be grounded again. Thank you.
Of all the things humans are prone to greed is the most disgusting to me. It permeates every aspect of a personality and slowly taints all the good things about it.
@@poetrytherapyinc my desires are to live in this life with the least amount of wants, needs or goods… if this is one more thing… to dispose of it…. There are so many “so many” “things” that are not needs. So many are wants, unnecessary shiny things
Greed and selfishness can simply be the pursuit of happiness. However, some people got actually blinded and then lose sight of what they actually desire. Instead of being happy, they became trapped. It's important to always know the core of your desires. What do you really want? What you treasure the most? your reason and purpose that you have named. Why you believe you want to fight to live? What makes something worth it to you? I think the negative side of greed, is being overwhelmed. Too focused on one thing that you become unstable. Everything should be balanced, because anything unstable lead to disharmony and self implosion. I think we need desire to live well. We need a little bit of greed and selfishness. But it's possible to be influenced by another's desire that you lose sight of what you actually want. And then, lose sight through being overwhelmed, information overload tend to addle the mind in my opinion till you close your eyes and reject and eject but the most important...
Very true, it is impossible to eliminate greed while alive because it is an emotional program built in the brain but we can see it for what it is and be far less influenced by it
Greed can make a real mess, no matter how small it may appear. It's really shocking to witness the effects that it can have. It's really something to think about, highlighting the strength of greediness.
Please could you bring out a video about the dangers of comparing oneself to others and feeling behind in life? I feel like this is an issue many struggle with throughout their lives so would be helpful to understand any philosophical ideas surrounding this.
You can instead be happy for the person, you could use that energy really dissect what it is that they have that you want and why you want it to begin with.
Thank you so much for your essays. They are a wonderful way to stop, and think. They often help to relax and view our daily life from a different perspective. I usually get your new videos in the moorning - words of wisdom and a cup of coffee are the best way to start a day. ❤🇨🇦
My bosses (husband and wife) were greedy. They bribed officials to get contracts and overcharged the clients. They treated their employees badly by not paying the employee's travel expenses and then billing the clients for unreimbursed travel expenses. One employee complained to the authorities who investigated them for fraud. They were found guilty and sent to prison. While they were in prison, one of their kids crashed the car into a tree and was killed. So sad.
It’s the journey not the destination, similar to not the happiness but the pre suit. Don’t chase money, be in service of others, money will be the by product. Greed goes with scarcity, never be in lack. As Mother Nature itself is very abundant. Be abundant with thinking, to sharing your time with others, to how your money grows itself.
I have a feeling that todays society with its social media focused all about image, being cool, looking beautiful and having money is just a breeding ground for greed. We have to shift our focus to praise other values in people like being a good friend/partner/parent, kindness, discipline, honesty and compassion...
Interesting. I suggest this subject may deserve a part two based on the recent findings of neuroscience about dopamine and what these findings could bring to the discussion (Dopamine nation, The molecule of more and Huberman Lab).
I think I didn't understand the concept of greed until now. You can basically be greedy about anything, even for a person. I think that what separates greed from ambition of success is that greed involves desire in a malicious way.
I think of people as conduits for money. Money should not be hoarded, but rather moved along from person to person. If you think of yourself as a conduit for money, you will attract much of it and pass it along to other people in the form of gifts, charity, and buying nice things for yourself last. The more money that flows through you, the wealthier you become, and you in turn pass that onto others. It's the economic version of the circle of life.
you are absolutely right i deeply appreciate this video thank you i have a lot of struggle with pride and greed 😔 i want to break free completely from all these sins it is affecting me negatively in life
Amazing topic, content and pictures !!! Very relevant in today's time when people and countries are going mad for it !!! Would like to add that Hindu's text Rig Veda , also highlight that "Greed and fear" are root for all problems or Main Sin in your terms !!! Simplicity and compassion is way of life. As earth have limited resources and greedy can never be satisfied !!! In conclusion: they all said same things in different words !!! And it is TRUE , saints and life stories we read for years have value in those teachings !!! May more understand it and follow it !!!
I think if you’ve lived through an early time of not having enough money for the basics in life, it can lead to some greed. I find this happens to me, as I’m terrified of not having enough in the future. Where my £ comes from is precarious, difficult not to obsess about it😰🤔
I kind of object, people who were born with wealth are just as terrified if not more of the idea of being poor. They’re just in denial of it. An example of this id the disgust shown towards the homeless. People don’t hate them, they just feel like that could be them if they take one wrong step
@@intercakefederation everybody wants to hold their standards at least and even that can be difficult if you don’t put in effort in your career .. so anxiety is always there
Greed is insane. A greedy person will not be happy until they possess everything. They’re never satisfied, and they never will be. Life is so much easier if you’re a minimalist.
Well said. Now imagine if a greedy person or persons have great power and influence over others. Their blind, insatiable greed can cause a lot of pain and suffering.
If you base your life upon man's opinion, you will never be rich. If you base your life upon nature's needs, you will never be poor. Nature's needs are few, whilst those of opinions are limitless! Seneca, of Rome
I love money, money is my friend. It's all relative. Being broke is worse than being wealthy. But yeah, greed is bad. You have to have the right perspective...
This is why I don't want to be rich, it will be never enough. That's why I'm a minimalist, I have money left over at the end of the month that's enough for me to be happy.
I believe my parents want me to be rich. I'm not sure what they're going to think when I tell them I'm starting a new career and taking a few months off of work. I felt bad seeing my bank account grow for no apparent reason while my happiness was fading
Health is the only wealth I'd purse. Both sound mind and body. A sick mind will always lead to sick ways and a sick life. Rich in possessions but poor/corrupted in personal character will not give one a peaceful life.
I think the answer is easy, you can't be rich that's why you made up an excuse for yourself. Be rich, don't spend money on yourself, spend money for animals in need. They want to eat and medicine, but you don't care about them, right?
@@peaceduke1 I feel like I have enough money to be happy. I am investing in the stock market, only a few bills, and I'm smart with money. No excuses here, just a different mindset, not everyone gets it.
@@daryldraws8083 I agree with the your first comment but you need to let go of this stereotypical notion that rich people are somehow "evil". I'm sure some are but who the hell comitts more crimes exactly, rich people or POOR people? It's just utter nonsense, the wealthiest people pay more taxes than anyone and create more value than anyone. You wouldn't even have a normal job it if weren't for them but that's pretty easy and convienient to forget now isn't? People just think these companies and great opportunities just magically appear and they disregard it as something "evil". Just stop it because it's simply not True. Plenty of rich people have given billions of dollars to charity something a "good" poor person could never do. I'm sick of these poor excuses from people who secretly want what the rich have but simply do not have what it takes to get it. There's a word for that, and that word is coward.
There are two more crucial sins for these modern times which Greed invokes: 1. Employeeship, or obedience read blindly following orders. Think about German soldiers during WWII but also modern day employees looking the other way, while they poison the planet, screw their clients on companies' orders., lobby for oil and arms, etc. 2. Strategy. It's the cold disconnection to achieve goals. This is those who order the obedient people and consider how to increase outcomes in the interests of a 'happy' few (read the Greedy). These are the obedient ones who even seek to consciously invest all their intelligence and cunning to scheme for often nefarious objectives.
I have just started watching (binge watching) your channel. I am more stoic than I ever imagined. Thank you for providing all of the info and looking forward to more.
I think you neglected a very important feature of greed. Greed unfortunately, is also the primary driving force of our economy, and by extension, the very foundation and evolution of human society and civilizations, at least in the physical aspects.
Thank you, Einzelganger for sharing your wisdom.. we are seeing such greed here in the US with politicians who will destroy our democracy if they succeed. They of course, would never listen to this.
It took the pandemic and 10 months of a sabbatical to reach the understanding of less is more in life. And acquisitions of stuff does not make one happy or content. I have finally that point of contentment and my happiest tiime in life
Is wanting to be loved greedy? Is greed only wanting material things? Is doing things for others and gaining recognition- greed? no matter what u do in life you're doing it for your own gain Categorizing wealthy people to being greedy isn't correct
@Aaron Henderson I don't see how it's not self explanatory. Honest work is when your work causes no direct harm to anybody, and maybe produces something nice and useful. Honest pay is the money you should obtain proportionally to the responsibility, time, and effort that the job requires.
@Alessandro Effort is different per person though, someone with a lower IQ could be working 100% of their capacity really struggling to get by and only getting payed minimum wage for that. Do you pay them more or less? It's a hard topic as each persons skill set is unique, and a lot of it is based in genetic code. You can fight against this and work hard to have a better life, but it doesn't mean hard work will equal good pay. Not arguing or trying to disprove anything, in the most basic sense I 100% agree with what you said.
I love this video and i have definitely started looking at all of the ways that i am greedy or have shown greedy tendencies. Because you can't change the world unless you change yourself.
Former Christian, current "wealthy person" here. The whole you can only have one master: God or money thing is a typical Christian oversimplification. Who says you need any master? Wealth can be achieved without the pursuit of it taking over your life. Particularly if you have a frugal and modest mindset to begin with. With wealth there are more opportunities to be generous, with your time and with material goods. I have much more time to devote to my family and charity now than when I was constantly concerned about making rent. I know some very unhappy people who are obsessed with God and religion. They police other's "sins", ostracize "non-believers" and hold on to toxic dogma at the expense of personal relationships. Sadly you won't see zealotry on any list of cardinal sins. Greed is obsession over wealth. Lust is obsession over sex. Sloth is obsession over comfort and rest. Wrath is obsession over revenge and anger. Gluttony is obsession over food and drink. Envy is obsession over the possessions of others. Pride is obsession over glory and status. Zealotry is obsession over a religious ideology. The root of all evil is obsession, particularly if that obsession is selfish. I say go ahead and acquire a bit of wealth (by being useful to others). Enjoy a bit of comfort and rest (after you work a bit. You earned it!) Enjoy some good food and drink (but choose healthy options and don't over do it). Realize that there are many forms love can take beyond sex, and put a bit of love in everything you do. If you get a bit of glory and status, fine (just don't let it go to your head). I can't think of any redeeming qualities for wrath, envy or zealotry, so avoid those.
Ironically I don't seem to find any biblical accounts of God being greedy, lustful, slothful, or gluttonous. An argument could be made for God being prideful, but I couldn't find an explicit example. There are plenty of examples of God being wrathful, and envious. And promoting zealotry is pretty much the point of the bible in the first place. So, God embodies all of the obsessions I despise. Go Christianity!
I think to solve the issue of greed we should not try treating it as a thing in of itself. Because greed is mostly a symptom, a coping mechanism for underlying negative feelings, emotions and expectations, in general: anxiety. This outlook is supported by the fact that greed is of compulsuve-obsessive nature, it cannot just go away, there is never "enough", otherwise the suppressed anxiety will surface right up. To fix abundant greed I'm afraid the society will have to change. It needs to be where each memeber does not fear for its future wellbeing, where there are firm social guarantees provided for everyone. Unfortunately, it looks like we are moving in a completely opposite direction, under the pressure of the greed-afflicted ruiling elite.
But to be perfectly good seems like a bad in and of itself. Life is never so simple… and yet it is. The fact that it’s both makes it more complicated! There’s a reason why toxic positivity is a thing and incorporating the “shadow” is a beneficial thing to include in your life because the world isn’t a nice place. If you’re TOO positive and without dark sides, then the world will take advantage of you! We live in a world of polarity and you cannot have the good without the bad. To be all one and none of the other is an imbalance of character and from my experience life punishes such an imbalance.
You need to transcend that thinking. Imagine you had billions of dollars and everything you ever wanted, would you even care if someone took advantage? No, it would not even bother you as you have soo much already, Be like the sun
I remember a russian story about greed, a queen asked her king to get things. He kept getting things for her but she was never satisfied. in the end her greed render her with nothing. Characters in stories that tend to be greed never have a happy ending, either they get killed or get imprisoned. Greed renders all things naught, for nothing can satisfy their endless desires.
It is better to be content with what the eyes can see than for one’s heart always to crave more. This continual longing is futile - like chasing the wind. Ecclesiastes 6:9
Want nothing. Read about consciousness when I was 9 and understood, "Ambition should be made of sterner stuff". Understanding the commercialization of Christmas I asked my parents to stop giving no toys. So I grew with minimal ego development. I am grateful for the lessons that led me here
There's the concept of the hedonistic treadmill. Every time you buy or otherwise obtain something you want, it feels good in the moment. But, once the dopamine wears off, you're emotionally back where you started with soome useless junk you don't know what to do with. I suppose that's why conscientious gratitude matters.
Hi! This is a very insightful question I used to deepen my knowledge about greed. I would love to react to some of your points in the video. From your statements, you said that when people or groups follow their own interests without considering the welfare of others, greed may cause rifts and conflicts throughout society. This is referred to as the divisiveness of greed. I concur with this statement since unbridled greed may result in societal turmoil, inequality, and a lack of collaboration. The shallow and self-centered aspect of greed is highlighted by its vanity, as people choose to put their personal wants and money before deep ties or contributions to society. Since it highlights the detrimental effects of greed on moral principles and social cohesiveness, I support this viewpoint. The shallow and self-centered aspect of greed is highlighted by its vanity, as people choose to put their personal wants and money before deep ties or contributions to society. Since it highlights the detrimental effects of greed on moral principles and social cohesiveness, I support this viewpoint. Epicurus’ quote “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you have was once among the things you only hoped for” connects with the important concept of thankfulness. I agree with the concept since it promotes satisfaction and a positive view of life by encouraging people to recognize and appreciate their existing benefits. Practicing gratitude might help us live a more contented and meaningful life by serving as a reminder of the path from lofty goals to actualized achievements. It's crucial to remember that the remark could oversimplify the nuanced nature of growth and personal objectives. Although it encourages contentment, it may be seen as inhibiting the pursuit of novel objectives. Maintaining equilibrium is essential, as is realizing that the drive for self-actualization and the establishment of new goals may serve as constructive catalysts for personal growth. Situations where desire and ambition result in favorable consequences, such as individual accomplishments, social breakthroughs, or contributions to the greater good, serve as counterexamples. The phrase may be made stronger by mentioning situations in which desire has resulted in significant and constructive change. From a moral and ethical reasoning perspective, the quote is consistent with the virtue of thankfulness. It emphasizes the value of having a responsible and compassionate desire, highlighting the fact that people may pursue achievement and personal development without sacrificing empathy or moral principles. By doing this, they enhance everyone's well-being, individually and as a group. Lastly, I would like to commend this video as it is very helpful material when talking about the social implications of greed and is helpful for students like me.
its quite a skill to parry your own ego, but i think im doing fairly well. i get a lot of pleasure from the little things in life. i dress and live quite plainly.
An English language teacher of us told us about how he read in Sinbad the sailor about a monkey throwing coconut at a man who had thrown a stone at the monkey. In 1953 he was in Korea as a soldier and saw a monkey in a coconut tree, he threw a stone at this massive maternal monkey which bounced off her chest, she then looked at him standing their waiting for a coconut to be thrown back but instead she put her hand in shomething nasty and threw it all over his tunic.
Desires are the beacons of light in our life when they inspire us to understand ourselves so that we find purpose in earthly life, but it immediately turns into a dark abyss when you start chasing those desires!!!
Your videos are great! I have a request. Can you do one on dealing with noise? I live in a very noisy place, and I work in a noisy environment. The noise really gets to me. Can you offer us help regarding external noise through the Stoics and others? Thank you.
Personally I'm greedy for the best possible life I can have and stop at nothing to achieve it. As perfection, it can never be achieved but enjoyed on the way to percieved completion.
I recommend people Watch some Thomas sowell films and get educated in economics.This film is a children's outlook on money,greed and economics. Capitalism is by no means perfect but it is the best so far and needs to be improved.
I have seen the destruction that greed causes. I have never been greedy for money or anything at the expense of everyone else. I'd rather be poor but happy with the great things I do have; like life. health and a good perspective and attitude. I am also grateful. I can still smile and laugh even under dire situations. I am also free of the superstition of religion. I am truly free to think.
Amazing video !! quality information always! I have a question, could you make a video about comparing oneself to others , what exactly should be done to stop it? Thank you 🙏🙏
Good question. Focus our lives on God and serving others, and we will have less mental space for thinking about ourselves and playing the comparison game