Greed is Good

[Snoopy]

Is Greed Good?

I would post a poll, but I have no clue as to how to do that.

Main Argument:

Greed is a motivator.

Without greed, people would be lazy, wouldn't work, and inventors would have no reason to create things.

Example: You are a paper boy (or girl). You get paid 50 dollars a week for delivering the papers. First off, chances are, you would do it for the sake of getting cash. Second off, if they suddenly stopped paying you, and told you to work anyway, would you still work?

[Chlodwig I.]

first you normaly don't work for money or greed
you work to satisfy your needs for food, shelter etc.

So if you don't get the possibility to satisfy these needs with your work
then you have to find another work

that has nothing to do with greed

[stratesx]

Human beings rose to the top of the food chain not by competing against each other and crushing one another in the struggle to "get ahead", but through cooperation. Only by cooperating were humans able to combine their resources to hunt, build shelters, and eventually domesticate plants, animals, develop pottery, build the pyramids, etc., etc.

[Snoopy]

True, but on the other hand, they only cooperated for greed anyway. Greed for more food led to them cooperating to quench each others greed.

[Chlodwig I.]

but greed would led more to a lion behaviour
laying under a tree and waiting for you lionesses to bringt the food
that would be greed
working together for a mutual benefit is not greedy

and for working
asking for a fair payment for your labour is not greedy
greedy would be not paying a fair price for labour
so for your paper boy example
his employer demanding him to work for nothing thats greed

[Roy Batty]

True, but on the other hand, they only cooperated for greed anyway. Greed for more food led to them cooperating to quench each others greed.

That is, quite frankly, a ridiculous personal assertion from somebody that has probably never had to go hungry for more than a day in their life. I would go into more detail but to be honest, I'm stupefied (and not a little depressed) that you can't differentiate between a need and a desire.

[Snoopy]

The lion example is not greed. That is lazyness.

The paper boy is greedy unless he works for no pay. True, he deserves money nonetheless, but still wants the money, therefore is greedy.

Almost anything done to gain something is caused by greed.

The person doesn't work for mutual benefit for the sake of helping both (generally), they do it for the sake of gaining at least half. The mutual part is so they don't get into a big fight (in which the food stores gets lit on fire or something of the sort.)

It is still possible for people to be greedy for a need. A person might fight another person for food. It is still greed. They may drink water, but they are still being greedy, no matter how good the intentions.

Greed is the want for Anything for personal benefit. How good the intention (like giving food to their family) is still a sort of greed.

Also:

You are defining greed differently. Greed in itself is simply a person wanting something, even if they need it. Letting other people do the job for them is Laziness combined with greed. The greed is not bad, since without it, inventors would have no reason to invent (they may be greedy to use their own creations, or they may be greedy for the money from selling it). What IS bad is how people may quench that greed (killing each other, looting towns, ect).

On the hungry thing:

(1) Chances are, neither have you

(2) If you HAVE ever been hungry, then what does that prove?

Also in general:

If you constantly give a poor man money, he will come to expect it and become lazy. On the other hand, if you get him to sell things for it (possibly slightly cheaper) he will probably find ways to get the stuff other people need, helping other poor people by selling the supplies to them.

[IndianPrince]

Sometimes ... like ambition is a good kinda goal .. everyone encourages THAT

Prince

[Maverick]

Sometimes ... like ambition is a good kinda goal .. everyone encourages THAT

Prince

Except most people's ambition exceeds their talent.

[bubka]

Human beings rose to the top of the food chain not by competing against each other and crushing one another in the struggle to "get ahead", but through cooperation. Only by cooperating were humans able to combine their resources to hunt, build shelters, and eventually domesticate plants, animals, develop pottery, build the pyramids, etc., etc.

build the pyramids?
is that an example of a glorious human achievement?
i would call it a monument to inhumanity and slavery.
do you think the labourers cooperated out of their own will?
they were forced to, and many died.
the same can be said about most buildings, even modern ones, but at least in capitalism, I'll admit the payplan is better.

[Khosson]

do you think the labourers cooperated out of their own will?

Yes I do. And I've been thinking like this since I saw a documentary on discovery that cleared things up for me.

[Captain Blackadder]

Yes they got paid to do that and it was something to do when your fields were flooded though to be truefull I would not have liked to be paid in what they were paid in. (onions i think)

[iudas]

Indeed, evidence suggests that the pyramids were not built by slaves but by free people who weren't forced to do it.

@OP: what you mention as the good things 'greed' provides are in fact provided by ambition or having other specific goals. I wouldn't work for anything or anyone for free (except if I really loved the job, unlikely though) but that's not because of greed. You can't say you're greedy if you want 50 more dollars per week (a salary which, for Romania, where I live, is quite impressive... ), can you?

[Chlodwig I.]

The lion example is not greed. That is lazyness.

The paper boy is greedy unless he works for no pay. True, he deserves money nonetheless, but still wants the money, therefore is greedy.

No thats not greed
he demans a fair pay back for his labour
the guy who denies him the money for his work is greedy

lazyness, If i don't work I don't deserve getting anything
and if I let others work for me and don't give them anything for thier labour
thats greedy

Almost anything done to gain something is caused by greed.

No not out of Greed out of need
do you believe that ancient humans went hunting because of greed or to get some food.
Work is first always done because of needs of survival

The person doesn't work for mutual benefit for the sake of helping both (generally), they do it for the sake of gaining at least half. The mutual part is so they don't get into a big fight (in which the food stores gets lit on fire or something of the sort.)

True the people builded hunting groups to get the mamoth because one alone wasn't able to kill it on its own
but the question is how is the animal devided
does everyone get the same (altruism)
does everyone get a part that equals his work (capitalism)
does one try to get more then the others without haveing done more then the others(greed)

It is still possible for people to be greedy for a need. A person might fight another person for food. It is still greed. They may drink water, but they are still being greedy, no matter how good the intentions.

Greed is the want for Anything for personal benefit. How good the intention (like giving food to their family) is still a sort of greed.

No thats not greed
thats struggle for survival
you need that food because you are starving,
thats the reason why human started killing and eating animals,
you set your survival and that of your familiy above that of others thats not greed thats nature

greed would be if you are not starving, if you are only hungry and you take away the food of someone who is therefore starving

Also:

You are defining greed differently. Greed in itself is simply a person wanting something, even if they need it. Letting other people do the job for them is Laziness combined with greed. The greed is not bad, since without it, inventors would have no reason to invent (they may be greedy to use their own creations, or they may be greedy for the money from selling it). What IS bad is how people may quench that greed (killing each other, looting towns, ect).

I would say true inventions are done because of curiosity (and maybe lazyness)
If you start inventing something you don't know if it will be successfull.
You spend energy and resources on an unknown thing.
A greedy person would never do such a thing because you never know the outcome of a research so for a greedy person the loos of the energy and resources would be a to high risk.
Also reserach is done in branches of sciences that will never "sell of"
you will never get the any real (material) profit from it but the people still do the reserach in these subjects.
So I call it curiosity.

On the hungry thing:

(1) Chances are, neither have you

(2) If you HAVE ever been hungry, then what does that prove?

Also in general:

If you constantly give a poor man money, he will come to expect it and become lazy. On the other hand, if you get him to sell things for it (possibly slightly cheaper) he will probably find ways to get the stuff other people need, helping other poor people by selling the supplies to them.

No that proves that your boss is a greedy bas... not paying you enough to live.

Your "Genera"l thing is right but what has it to do with greed?
If you ask for a fair price for the supplies thats not greed
if you charge to high prices (without any need like high risk, high cost) for these supplies
that would be greed

[Knasp]

According to dictionary.com

An excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves

Greed is doing everything you can to get more, even if it hurts others.

[Centurion-Lucius-Vorenus]

That determines your own definition of Greed and to what level of greediness your analyzing. For example, if i choose to work to make money and buy things that would be good, because in the end i am contributing to the economy. However if i would ignore all those less fortunate, and end up putting my old relatives in third rate nursing homes just to make more money, then that is bad.

[Vladimir Lenin]

first you normaly don't work for money or greed
you work to satisfy your needs for food, shelter etc.

So if you don't get the possibility to satisfy these needs with your work
then you have to find another work

that has nothing to do with greed

Wrong, completely wrong.

We work for what we want.

However what we want also crosses over into what we need luckily.

[Chlodwig I.]

Well not sure if I'm wrong
maybe I should explain it more understandable

You want what you need
But you don't need what you want.

need is transportation, food, shelter
want is ferrari, caviar, luxury home

so wants are created by needs
if you don't feel the need for transportation
you normaly don't want to buy a car


but still it has nothing to do with greed

[JP226]

You want what you need
But you don't need what you want.

need is transportation, food, shelter
want is ferrari, caviar, luxury home

but by wanting that you produce more and benefit more.

[Ramashan]

You want what you need
But you don't need what you want.

need is transportation, food, shelter
want is ferrari, caviar, luxury home

So? If someone works hard for their money and they can afford such things, why not allow them to have a luxury or two. Greed would be when you don't work hard for such things and expect it or sacrifice your financial security and that of friends, workers, and family to get such a thing.

Sure there are people that are greedy in the work place, demanding far more then they quite honestly deserve for their job. But typically, its those that are not greedy who are doing the best work 'for' society. Regardless of how much money they make.

Is Greed good? I don't think so. But for the person and persons who benefit from it I suppose they would dissagree.