The Greed Philosophy

A well-known quotation by Rusty Eric states that "As long as greed is stronger than compassion, there will always be suffering." But having read this, the first and most obvious question which comes to mind is whether it is the unfeigned truth or just another senseless medieval deliberation. It bears a reference to the age-old tug-of-war between selfishness or avidity on the one hand, and benevolence on the other. So given a choice between the two, which one would you pick? But before you can go ahead let us independently weigh them out...

Being self-centred is considered by many to be the only viable path in a world full of fourberie, far from its utopian depiction in fairy tales! Why should you go out of your way to do something from which you reap no apparent benefits? While the answer to this is anything but evident, one has to consider numerous issues before coming up with something even remotely sensible or logical. Self-interest may lend a quick hand in materialistic advancement and also help in reducing external concerns, but at the cost of losing the regard of others. In an increasingly complex macrocosm, it becomes exceedingly difficult to achieve your goals without anyone looking out for you, which surely won't happen without you doing the same in return!

Conversely, being absolutely magnanimous without even a shred of self-absorption may initially attract a lot of followers, in some way validating your existence, but might not help you survive and prosper in the long run. After all, innocent little fish can't hope to rise to the top of a food chain dominated by ruthless sharks! For instance when you see a squabble, do you try to break it up without having judged head or tail of the circumstance, may be even risking your own life? Bites, doesn't it? Therein lies the notion of having to follow a middle path, implying a win-win situation, but where do we draw the critical line between the two utter extremes?

Personally, I feel that the rejoinder may be a lot more circumstantial than rational... A precept that works for you might not necessarily work for me! So I say we form an opinion for ourselves while experiencing life first hand. We should cite the people and business which are most important to us, and define the boundary between avarice and selflessness accordingly.

However, not everything has been accounted for yet... Just for instance, whenever I come across a physically fit and perfectly work capable pauper, trying to conceal a ten buck note and displaying an empty bowl in order to coerce a coin or two from me, I feel disgusted! But contrarily, if I see a helpless child begging for food I have no problem obliging... In such cases, where the subject in question doesn't affect you in the least bit, we should prefer empathy over indifference wherever our conscience approves of it, for the simple reason that this might have been one of the prime factors for the success of the human species, thereby bringing it to where it is today!