“Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction”—Erich Fromm
Abundance is perhaps the most sought-after wish, which has its roots in the heart of every human being who has, or ever will be, on this planet. However, “I want more, more and more” are words that many who are discontented with what they have continue to repeat and aspire to. This insatiable desire for money, power, or status has compelled a huge population to exceed limits and, without remorse, trample over others’ weaknesses, happiness, and aspirations. The majority do it on a small scale, at the expense of a few near and dear ones, but a few manage to do so on an exponential level that goes on to affect people who innocently get entrapped.
Why this happens has been widely researched by psychologists around the world. Some of the factors that have been highlighted include underlying insecurities, low self-esteem, and/or past trauma. These tend to override empathy, causing the person to become anxious, remain socially aloof, or indulge in unethical or destructive behaviour. It is also believed that greed springs from early life experiences where neglect or parents’ inconsistent or callous attitudes force children to fixate themselves on external validation.
People who tend to be reactionary to the situations they find themselves in sometimes turn into antisocial elements. They put themselves before anyone else, getting a kick from exercising their greed, which is more in the nature of an addiction rather than a simple human wish. There are innumerable examples of people who, in their lust for wealth, power, position, and fame, have met with disastrous ends, yet many do not learn any lessons from their stories. The cycle continues.
A very interesting documentary, Bad Boy Billionaires: India, on Netflix throws light on four different individuals whose rise to fame and fortune had severe undercurrents of greed, dishonesty, and selfishness that brought about their downfall, while also ruining the lives of their employees and beneficiaries, whose numbers ranged from a few thousand to many millions. This is a must-see for all the ambitious ones out there who want to project themselves as high achievers by hook or by crook, even if it means forged statements, cooked-up accounts, and creating an environment of deceit and cheating where bankers were bribed to obtain loans illegally.
There are many profound lessons, out of which greed has already been discussed, to be derived from this documentary. One is that no matter how good one’s intentions are, they must reflect in action. Providing unique services is undoubtedly well-meaning, but there must be adequate resources to supplement them. This does not entail taking expensive loans from banks without having generated sufficient funds to return them. A balance must definitely be maintained to keep the accounts clean and transparent.
We generally aspire to a perfect life where everything revolves around our wishes. Unfortunately, few can claim to have such an existence, but the least we can do is make the best of whatever we have
Two is that empowering the poor is a noble deed, but this must be rationalised with the ability to pay back whatever has been extracted from them in the name of investments. Creating billions’ worth of assets for the mere satisfaction of an inert sense of deprivation suffered in one’s early years is no reason to deprive the poor of their lifelong savings.
Three is that the welfare of others should take priority over one’s own luxuries. Thus, an extravagant celebration of one’s birthday is totally unjustified when employees remain unpaid for months. Imagine the pain of the umpteen families who are unable to lead decent lives simply because they are not receiving their hard-earned salaries from their employers. This can never be vindicated. The height of insensitivity can be gauged from one instance where an employee’s wife committed suicide because her husband did not receive his dues.
Being ambitious is not a negative trait, but one’s goal in life should not be based on false narratives. If we were all in a state of greed, then how could we be happy?
Happiness is a very elusive term in that some derive happiness from making others happy, while some feel happy in making others unhappy. However, one thing is for sure: people who are content may not appear happy, but they are at peace with themselves, which, by the way, is a great blessing. It is indeed a strange world.
We generally aspire to a perfect life where everything revolves around our wishes. Unfortunately, few can claim to have such an existence, but the least we can do is make the best of whatever we have. This is one form of contentment.
The effort to improve should continue, but in a subtle manner. Unless one hits a jackpot, riches cannot be achieved overnight. Besides, wealth is no guarantee of happiness, although it may help to overcome material problems.
This is the secret that has come down to us from generation to generation, the voices raised in sermons from pulpits, the experience that parents pass on to their offspring, and the knowledge that teachers transfer to their students. Yet we continue to fan our greed, only to learn these lessons the hard way.
Although they may be part of a glamorous world, blissful souls could look uninterested in ostentation, demotivated, boring, miserly, and foolish, while those who are constantly in a feverish state of making money may be viewed as intelligent, go-getters, innovative, and successful. Again, these perceptions could be highly deceptive.
A lazy person may be very dissatisfied, while an ambitious one could still be content. In short, being content is a state of mind and heart that could engulf anyone. No sweeping statements can be made about specific situations which may invoke feelings of contentment or discontentment, for that matter.
As someone remarked, the world does not bring good or evil on its own. Everything that is happening around us is a reflection of our own thoughts, feelings, wishes, and actions. And in Chanakya’s words: “There is no austerity equal to a balanced mind, and there is no happiness equal to contentment; there is no disease like covetousness, and no virtue like mercy”—if only we understand.