Greed breeds poverty, or from success to poverty through greed

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:40

The human body is a complex, unexplored system, where everything is interconnected. Wet feet - a sore throat, a blow to the heels - a problem with the kidneys. Figurative (even slightly exaggerated) examples, but this is true. It is much more difficult to explain the most subtle spiritual human changes. Yes, and there is no such task. The article will talk about something else - let's reflect on the well-known expression, which has already become winged: "Greed breeds poverty."

In simple words, the hero of Bulgakov's notorious novel (speaking of a brick that just doesn't fall on his head) explains the law to which the German philosophers Kant and Schopenhauer dedicated their works. Absolutely everything has a reason.

Let's agree right away

Let's move away from the discussion of the laws of causality. They certainly have the right to exist - why not? But what defies explanation, touching is not a thankful task. Let's leave this for exercises to philosophers and thinkers, endowed with special unearthly wisdom and the gift to see what is inaccessible to the ordinary human eye.

Here we will also not repeat ourselves, give definitions and deal withdescription of the meanings (familiar from childhood) of words and concepts. All this has already been done for a long time, and only the lazy did not write about it. Few would argue that sin is bad, but a good deed is wonderful.

A three-year-old child with a handful of sweets in his hands, not wanting to part with his we alth, is forced to share this treasure when he hears his mother's remark: "don't be greedy, treat the girl …". The kid already at this age knows what greed is. At least intuitively feels that this is not good.

And the last thing: about the concept of "poverty" (poverty). Poverty is different. Life is multifaceted, it is replete with a mass of rare and unique cases. We will consider a situation where a completely successful person becomes poor, or even a beggar.

What causes poverty?

There is an expression - "Greed begets poverty". Who said these words? An expression used for centuries, which has retained its relevance today, belongs to the philosopher and thinker of ancient China, Confucius (551-479 BC). Looking ahead, we try to answer the question. Poverty leads to greed, greed, avarice. In the language of the Church - the love of money, which is one of the seven deadly sins.

Any unsubstantiated assertion is considered null and void, isn't it? It's time to start proving the correctness of the expression "Greed breeds poverty." Confucius was able to describe in one short phrase the whole process of profound changes in human life.

From weakenedmind to poverty

Let's start the argument from the end, backwards. So, let's imagine: a once quite successful person became a beggar. "Goal like a falcon", and nothing else. By the way, the phenomenon is familiar, and does not even remotely resemble a fairy tale. Are not the words and expressions known: “ruin”, “bankruptcy”, “lose everything”, “find yourself on the street”?

The beggar is prone to fall. The very fact that a person has become a beggar cannot testify to his rise, takeoff. An example is banal, but found everywhere - having received alms, the beggar seeks to “put it into circulation” - to drink it away. The weakening of the mind leads to poverty. When a person does not distinguish between what is good and what is bad, this indicates a weak mind.

It doesn't matter at all that he deliberately doesn't notice the differences. That's the trouble, that he distinguishes them (otherwise he would be incompetent). A person understands that his deed is wrong, but still commits it. Why? Weak mind (there is nothing to do with mental illness, pathology). Inability (unwillingness) to adequately assess the uselessness of an act, its negative consequences.

There may be objections that there are beggars who keep their hard-earned money, even hoarding alms. Absolutely fair. Just let's not confuse the textbook beggar with a person for whom "poverty" has become a profession, a way of veiled deceit and outright fraud. What does all this have to do with the expression "greed breeds poverty"? The most direct. We disassemble the entire chain by links.

Losing shame is a sure sign that poverty is already "knocking at the door"

What weakens the human mind? Again, referring to the language of the church (it briefly and concisely gives very precise definitions), one can answer in one word - sinfulness. Sinfulness and a weak mind are closely related. A person is unable to overcome the habit, does not even think about it, does not set such a goal. He ceases to see subtle differences, even finds excuses for his obviously illegal actions.

The loss of shame, in turn, leads to a state of sinfulness. Someone may object, saying that desire leads to the fall. Undoubtedly. Sin is always welcome. Temptation? And this is true, but immediately the question is - why does someone manage to avoid temptation, and someone cannot resist? After all, initially for any person there are both public opinion and moral standards, rights, other social norms, generally accepted rules for coexistence with other people, after all. To sinfulness leads the loss of shame, conscience, you can call it whatever you like. Only a couple of links from the entire chain remain, separating from the disclosure of the meaning of the expression "greed breeds poverty."

Rejection of kindness and virtue leads to loss of shame

Reluctance to live for the sake of others, rejection of virtue as something unprofitable, flawed, difficult and unprofitable. Priority of one's own interests, personal gain, achievement of one's goals in any way and by anymeans, regardless of the needs and aspirations of others, on the norms and rules, means the loss of shame and conscience.

Finally, what causes the loss of shame? Of course greed. Greed is a choice. Greed breeds poverty. The meaning of this statement is that the rejection of virtue (caring for others) because of greed gives unlimited access to sensual pleasures, sinfulness. “I can do this”, “I want this”, “I have the right”, “this is my life”, “I don't care” - expressions that are links in the same chain leading to poverty and misery. A person, as a rule, loses respect, "his face", good relations, friends and relatives. And as a result of some complication, a difficulty that has arisen at some point in his life, he inevitably flies into the abyss, to the bottom, hoping in vain that someone will lend a hand to him.

One cannot but agree with the statement that greed breeds poverty. The author of the quote is not only right, he is also very accurate in his expression.

Literary examples

How not to mention Pushkin's old man and old woman who lived near the blue sea, the Indian fairy tale about the golden antelope and the greedy raja, about Khoja Nasreddin and the greedy merchant, about many other immortal literary works and fairy tales? Did they arise out of the blue? Aren't they a clear example of the truth of the claim that greed breeds poverty?