Greed is the excessive, selfish desire to have
more of something. From this definition, it can be inferred that one can be
greedy for anything- wealth, fame, attention. This leaves the trait to become restricted",
which is why it can be said that greed is "timeless". The earliest
example that comes to mind, and that we discussed, is the story of Cain and
Abel. The idea is that Cain killed Abel because Abel was favored, meaning that
Abel received all the praise and attention. Out of lust and greed, Cain killed
Abel. From that first murder and act from greed, greed has been and is continually
present in everybody’s life.
It’s amazing how much greed can change a person,
and how big of an influence it plays when it comes to decisions. But I think
greed only takes a big role if you succumb to it. So maybe greed shouldn’t be
described as a trait, but more of an instinct. Everybody has some sort selfish
instinct within them, which may be extremely pessimistic, but that’s just how I
see it. But returning back to my point, everybody has the
instinct, but I think what really matters is whether or not a person falls into
the instinct or rejects it. Once they choose to accept it, greed begins to
control their life- changing their perspective, their priorities, and their
morals. It ultimately changes the person. The Pardoner, for example, became a
preacher who rather focused on forgiveness of sins, became obsessed with
attaining wealth and goods. I would like to believe that before he decided to
take on the role of “the pardoner”, he had some innocence and pure intentions,
rather than selfish desires. But maybe he already adopted greed into his life,
and saw the role as a gateway to wealth.
In our world today, greed plays a similar role as
it did for the Pardoner and Cain. It somehow has the manipulating power to
change a person entirely, and acts like a drug. You become obsessed with just
getting more, not only pertaining to wealth. And it doesn’t just stop once you
attain your desired object, but it just continues as you become greedier for
more.
Totally agree with your idea of timeless greed. However, I feel that greed can be stopped by being grateful for what you have, How do you think you can prevent greed in your life?
ReplyDeleteI, too, wrote about greed as the main idea in the Pardoner's Tale. I also agree that greed is an instinct; I think of it as a survival instinct we've always had as a means of finding food and staying alive. Since it carried so much importance, maybe we shouldn't suppress it completely. It's negativity exists because greed becomes a competition among individuals. Could there be a way to use greed positively?
ReplyDeleteI agree that greed is a common instinct among human beings. Greed does bring destruction to people's lives, as portrayed in the Pardoner's Tale. I wonder why some people give in to greed, while others are able to resist it. Is there a breaking point where greed comes justifiable, so they feel that their greed needs to be fulfilled? You made a good point that greed is a continual cycle of desire.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you connected greed back to history at the beginning of the blog. You connected a modern day idea of greed back to the story of Cain and Abel. I think you did a great job and I agree that greed is a common instinct among people. Whether it is small or large, everyone has been greedy before.
ReplyDelete