Okay, so I've developed this really bad habit- whenever I comment on someones blog I automatically think- hey I should turn that idea into one of my own blogs and get forthy more points for it! lol. So... I was reading this one about money and how it cant make you truely happy if your a grinch and all that and how people these days shouldn't be so greedy. I don't think so much that it's a bad thing to be greedy though, I mean if no one was greedy we would be living in an Animal Farm communist society where someone will inevitably step up and take over everyone else because we're so chill about everything. Besides, "greed" also sometimes known as ambition and motivation to better oneself is what keeps our economy flowing. Its nice to want to share your money with less fortunate (that's why we have charities and the Red Cross) but realistically it just wouldnt work out that way.
I think the real bad thing is taking what you have for granted. That's the real evil here. The whole-crash your car so daddy will buy you a knew one is the most selfish and ridiculous thing I've ever heard- that's not just greed, that's taking the world for granted. Do you know how much pollution and how much labor it takes to create a car? Not only that, do you know how badly the government subsidizes cars in the US? If cars were sold for their actual value- hardly anyone would have one. That is what the government needs to start doing- reducing the artificially low prices on things that are causing our earth harm and create subsidies for research on ways to improve it or alternative ways of things like transportation and farming etc.
Sorry, I'm getting a little off track here. But anyways this is what I posted earlier:
"I know people who have purposely kept low paying jobs lived in apartments all their lives when they could have bougth a house and a nice car by taking opportunities and promotions that have been passed their way. Do you know why they declined? To send their kids to college! They had it figured out a long time ago that if they took those higher paying jobs and got junky cars and a small house and saved the rest, they still wouldn't be able to afford to send their three kids to a top college- even if they and their kids worked to pay off loans. So what did they do? They sucked it up and had the government and several scholarships pay for it instead. Smart move? You tell me. Two of them are now in four year universities and the other is getting ready to graduate next year. I'd say Stanford and USC are pretty good choices, don't you"
I don't know what to think with that one, I asked my mom the other day if it was reasonable to make all the money you can and then save it in an offshore account like in Switzerland or something- would the government know about it then? Would you have to use that in your W-2's and go broke paying for college for your kids? What if that money is your retirement money.
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I agree that taking what you have for granted is worse than wanting things. But, here's a thought: doesn't greed go beyond ambition? Ambition is the aspiration to have something (though not necessarily material) and greed is wanting more and more (usually material things). I can definately say that materialism makes me angry.
Materialism can really piss me off sometimes too- especially when I look around at the 3,000+ kids on my highschool campus who have coach bags and bbc imports and sidekicks and razrs etc galore.