Monday, March 21, 2011

Need and Greed

We all need things. But an insatiable need is greed. So where does that come from? Why are there some needs that are a hole of fear that can't be filled?

I may well be wrong, but at core I think humans have 3 emotional settings. Love, fear and grief. And the 3 dance around and interweave with each other. Out of that and depending on the amount or lack of each of those present come all the other things- everything else, even joy. Even total self-awareness, insanity and humor. And so does greed.

My greediness came out with my husband. I could not have him enough. If I could've discorporated and lived inside his brain I wouldn't have had enough. So I understand the feeling of not ever having enough. But I don't understand having it about material possessions.

Really, if you're able to eat, sleep, work, play and do what you do somewhat comfortably, you already have enough. Why do you have to have more? What sick Reagan-era yuppie told us we should "have it all" anyway? Lifestyles of the rich and famous?

And then too, there are those who think having it all is Enlightenment. Is that spiritual greed?

It's complex. Each of us is complex. I hope, in a future world, that people will figure this all out and work rationally together.

For right now, it's a snowy spring day in a sleepy town.

2 comments:

CarrieBoo said...

Well, I definitely missed this one! Those three make a lot of sense. Hmmm, from what I can gather, some of the greed boils down to the types of shows and movies featured in different countries.

Take England. Life is pretty darn hard there, for the majority of people. Town of Bradford... I was so poor there, but I never really thought about it because that's how it was for everyone, and that's what the shows reflected. Nitty gritty soaps, reflecting more realistic characters and life styles are what the masses tune in for. People and story-lines you can relate to.

Now the soaps in America are all about rich, "perfect" looking people in mansions, etc. Most of the mainstream shows and movies, apparently "average" families live in these huge houses, on huge streets, all decked out and fully loaded. This is what people see all the time... it gets into their psyches. They don't want to be less than "average". If they can help it, they want to be more than "average". That's the least they deserve. Right? It becomes this "need" to have and be.

I prefer to watch the stuff that doesn't make me want to puke. ;)

annieoatcake said...

In a word, consumerism. To gain profit, they have to keep making stuff and advertize to make it seem we are missing out if we don't have it... and so the beat goes on :-/