The following discussion is not intended to be made considering "greed" as “immoral” or “evil” or rather the same would be done on the touchstone of practicality, i.e., the apparently inevitable and more palpable consequences of it.
It is also clarified that “greed” here not only refers to material things like goods, money, products etc. but also to non-tangible outcomes like power, status, dominance, influence, privileges, sex and so on. Further, that greed has no boundaries, no limits and as a matter of fact, that is how it is characterized.
There is no denying that greed is a part of human nature and almost all of us are greedy to some extent, but the predicament is that it has a natural property to multiply itself and it keeps on doing so until we consciously put a check on it. Greed often takes the route of the subconscious to enter our minds and as soon as it does, it starts multiplying manifolds.
Unfortunately, indeed, we generally do not realize until it is too late and at times, we do not even realize it later. In fact, at its onset, we tend to welcome it, but very soon the destruction begins.
Now, even if we overlook the potential harm, it does to others, greed has certain consequences for the people themselves and the present discourse more particularly focuses on this aspect. Greed takes over our personalities and it starts manifesting itself through us, almost in all spheres of our being. Though it makes small changes initially, however, with the passage of time, it transforms us to a completely new personality; probably the one we never thought and would like ourselves to be.
Greed basically distorts our perception of "Distributive Justice" and thereby constantly make us feel that we are getting less than what we deserve. Further, by altering our understanding of fairness, we are susceptible to develop weird sense of “behavioural expectations” from others. Resultantly, it infuses a sense of continual dissatisfaction in us and thereby makes the contentment ever elusive for us.
Furthermore, the insatiability of greed is detrimental. Greed tends to make our desires insatiable and unquenchable. In consequence, we are driven to deceptively precarious paths in pursuit of endlessly illusory treasures. Since the cycle can never be broken, it eventually starts giving us a feeling of anxiety and restlessness. Slowly and gradually, we end up getting trapped in inextricable tangles of desire.
Also, greed is so intoxicating that it always keeps us in a psychologically inebriated state. In its spell of enchantment, it starts operating even at micro levels, making our vision completely myopic therewith. Resultantly, we are most likely to lose the big battle in a bid to secure every single win.
Sadly indeed, oft-times the nature of damage is permanent and we usually find our boats burnt. Thus, greed could be fatal, unless diagnosed at an early stage !
©Both the text and the photographs are protected works of the author Bibhuti Bhushan Mishra. They can not be published, reproduced, adapted or otherwise dealt with without the prior permission of the author.
