# What really defines greed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 12, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-really-defines-greed/618582 "2012-04-12T18:10:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-really-defines-greed/618582/21 "2012-04-13T00:57:16Z")
I think when you start wanting limited resources (money, land, power, etc) just for their own sake rather than for what they can give you (things like the ability to buy comfort, health care, education, shelter, decent food, etc) and when your desire for resources becomes so encompassing that you start taking resources from people who actually want them just to be able to have health care, education, a decent living standard, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-really-defines-greed/618582/22 "2012-04-13T01:06:51Z")
If you are causing harm to others – and you are conscious of this – and continue to strive to accumulate possessions/money anyway, above basic needs (now THAT is subjective), then greed is entering in. But then, I think untempered capitalism is evil, so I have this different world view. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-really-defines-greed/618582/23 "2012-04-13T06:56:07Z")
> [@tullsterx](#): > > NOOOO. I do not believe that “money is the root of all evil” . . . and, I don’t share your sense concerning the other responses I’ve read. > > I generally think that wanting to succeed and make money is good. But, I do think that the rise in personal debt in the US is maybe a sign of greed. I would agree. The rise in personal debt is a direct result of a sense of entitlement that people deserve to have more than they actually earn. ---
**Author:** ![Deegeea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Deegeea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deegeea)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-really-defines-greed/618582/24 "2012-04-13T15:46:57Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > Essentially, if you harm others in your quest to attain material goods, you are causing yourself spiritual damage. And, focusing on the accumulation of stuff is in itself a spiritual distraction and danger. This sounds right to me. So there’s two parts to the definition of greed per Ulfreida. Only a person being honest with himself can diagnose type 2 greed (focus on the accumulation of stuff becoming problematic). The type 1 greed is probably more what the OP has in mind. Type 1 greed can be ascertained by viewing the damage in light of rules defining negligence. If you have a duty of care in a situation, and you violate it on purpose or by callous or reckless disregard, and harm someone, and that harm is in the pursuit of material goods, you’ve committed type 1 greed. =D ---
**Author:** ![Deegeea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Deegeea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deegeea)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-really-defines-greed/618582/25 "2012-04-13T15:52:51Z")
it let me edit the post, then said my time had expired, so here’s what I added: (edit note: I may not mean the strict legal definition of those terms, but a more general ethical/moral dimension of them probably… hard to be sure) added in edit: To address the car seller example: If someone were to be selling their car, and find a person who is terrible at managing money, and impulsive, and persuade that person to spend more than he or she can afford to buy the car via taking advantage of that person’s flaws, in full knowledge that this will mean the person or their family will suffer for it, that’d be an example of greed. ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-really-defines-greed/618582/26 "2012-04-13T15:55:54Z")
> [@tullsterx](#): > > NOOOO. I do not believe that “money is the root of all evil” Neither did St. Paul, the original author of the most-often-misquoted passage in the Bible. It is **the love of money** which is the root of all evil (1 Tim 6:10). That’s as good a definition of greed as you’ll find. ---
**Author:** ![MonoDextrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@MonoDextrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonoDextrose)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-really-defines-greed/618582/27 "2012-04-13T21:07:55Z")
I feel it’s when your only incentive to obtain anything (material or non-material) is for the sake of simply obtaining it. In other words, you get pleasure from simply obtaining something, and not so much what that certain thing might do for you. I would also like to add that this kind of behavior isn’t bad unless you are hurting people in the process. I don’t think an act can be considered greedy unless compassion is absent in the action. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-really-defines-greed/618582/28 "2012-04-13T21:19:24Z")
After a time, you may find that _having_ is not so pleasing a thing after all as _wanting_. It is not logical, but it is often true. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-really-defines-greed/618582/29 "2012-04-14T00:26:26Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I would agree. The rise in personal debt is a direct result of a sense of entitlement that people deserve to have more than they actually earn. I don’t agree with that. I think a big part of it is that certain fixed expenses (higher education, health care, real estate) are going up in price far faster than inflation. If health insurance premiums double every 5 years and higher education costs double every 10 but wages double every 25 years it is only a matter of time before people go broke. Student loans have now overtaken credit card debt, so it isn’t all just consumer spending. ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-really-defines-greed/618582/30 "2012-04-14T03:09:35Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I don’t agree with that. I think a big part of it is that certain fixed expenses (higher education, health care, real estate) are going up in price far faster than inflation. If health insurance premiums double every 5 years and higher education costs double every 10 but wages double every 25 years it is only a matter of time before people go broke. > > Student loans have now overtaken credit card debt, so it isn’t all just consumer spending. I would argue that educational expenses that are beyond your “means” are indeed a sign of someone trying to reach something that is beyond their grasp. . . is that not greed? Wanting something that you have yet to earn? ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-really-defines-greed/618582/31 "2012-04-14T18:26:29Z")
> [@tullsterx](#): > > I would argue that educational expenses that are beyond your “means” are indeed a sign of someone trying to reach something that is beyond their grasp. . . is that not greed? Wanting something that you have yet to earn? Wanting an education…I have no idea how that can be construed as greed. If you think so…then, hell, a sick person wanting to be healed could be considered ‘greedy’. Not buying it. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-really-defines-greed/618582/32 "2012-04-14T20:30:58Z")
I think greed means to desire wealth to the point of being willing to do immoral and/or illegal action to gain wealth. ---
**Author:** ![ads95](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5daacb/32.png) [@ads95](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ads95)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-really-defines-greed/618582/33 "2012-04-16T12:53:40Z")
> [@BlinkingDuck](#): > > Wanting an education…I have no idea how that can be construed as greed. If you think so…then, hell, a sick person wanting to be healed could be considered ‘greedy’. > > Not buying it. Greed is probably not the right term there, but desiring an education that will not eventually pay for itself is incredibly naive. Now, the folks perfectly willing to loan you the money for that education? They are greedy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-really-defines-greed/618582.md?page=1)