How Greed for Money Stems from Materialism

What is the connection between greed for money and materialism? In this post, let’s discuss how greed for money stems from materialism. Why are so many people so greedy for money? As if the money that they amass they will carry it with them to heaven or hell. Sound this sound familiar? Because most of the time the money you amass is by snatching it away from someone else?

More so, what if you are a multi-millionaire and just to make of any opportunity, you try to squeeze some couple thousand dollars from another person who is financially much weaker than you? Or from someone who is much underprivileged? Would you still be filing lawsuits to exhort money from these people just so that you can add a few thousands to your millions? It might sound outrageous, but it is true there are people who are greedy for money to the core. Then the question is why are people so greedy for money? Mostly, greed stems from excessive materialism. And the United States is the epitome of materialism in the entire world. Does that sound out of whack? Let’s dive straight into it.

“Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.”

~ Erich Fromm

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What is Greed?

Per Wikipedia, “Greed is an uncontrolled longing for increase in the acquisition or use of material gain (be it food, money, land, or animate/inanimate possessions); or social value, such as status or power.”

As stated by Eric Fromm in his famous quote, greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person to satisfy the need without actually ever reaching any satisfaction. So if we are greedy for something, either money or power, will we ever be satisfied? Likely not, since it is an endless pursuit.

Further more the pursuit of greed only leads to unhappiness. But why unhappiness? Because the journey of greed is endless, it will never satisfy. We will also crave for more and more and never appreciate what we have. Never show gratitude or be grateful for what god has given us. Because to be happy we don’t need all the wealth in this world, we need to meet our basic needs and be able to pursue the journey to find fulfillment in life. Then leverage our passion or calling to help others. That is happiness all about. Since this is the true path to find inner peace.

What is Materialism?

Materialism is one’s preoccupation with material possessions and physical comfort. It symbolizes the incessant desire to possess material things. Be it a car, a house, clothes, shoes or anything other stuff.

Materialism drives the insatiable consumerism. As per The World Counts, we need 1.8 number of planet Earth to provide resources and absorb our wastes. By 2030, we will need 2 planets, but we have only 1. Thus, is today’s consumerism sustainable?

The United States of America is by far the largest consumer in the world, with a whopping $12.5 trillion in 2016.

Ranked: Top 10 Countries by Consumer Expenditure

In 2022, the forecasted consumer spending in the US is around $13.8 trillion dollars.

Source: tradingeconomics.com

How Greed for Money Stems from Materialism

Then the question, why do we crave for material possessions? For sure, it is a source of instant gratification. How do we feel when we buy a new car or rather an expensive sports car? Something that we yearned for since our childhood. Then we slogged all our lives and earned enough money. Would we not buy what we wanted to buy so much? What is wrong about it you make ask? Because don’t we live only one life? Why shouldn’t we satiate our desires in the time we live in this world? Am I making sense? Because these are very pertinent questions. Why should we live like an ascetic when we can choose not to live like one?

But what we may forget is that this materialism fuels the greed in us. And this greed to possess more and more is never ending. More so, this greed inculcates all the wrong behaviors in us.

How Greed Drives Immoral Behaviors

Recently, me and my wife embarked upon the journey of buying a house in the US. Given everything that has been going in the housing market post pandemic, it is not an ordinary feat. But this story is not about the housing market and what it is like for the house buyers. It is about greed.

We found out later that the builder misguided us and we found that the house which is yet to be built is not of the area we agreed upon. Part of the shady world of real estate builders. And when we canceled the contract within a week, the builder who is a multi-millionaire living in the most expensive real estate in the city by lake is suing us in court with a lawsuit just to make some additional couple thousand dollars. The builder is just trying to make the best use of the opportunity given the language in the contract backed by the legal system in the US.

What Does One Gain From Immoral Behaviors?

In my case, the question that arises is what is the builder who is somewhere in his eighties and fully covered financially for this next generations as well, gaining from this greed for money?

The answer is simple. Money attracts money. He is just trying to increase his net worth. Then you may ask, what is wrong about trying to increase your net worth? Is it not what we should try to do?

But the question here is by what means? Should we try to increase our net worth by immoral means even if we can fight it through the legal process and make some couple of grands? Something that we are not really entitled to, but just by exploiting the legal system there is an opportunity to make some more? Is it still okay to add some few more grand to the tens of millions of dollars of net worth just because there is an opportunity to do so?

What Can You Do?

Then the question is, what can you do about this system of materialism and greed? Do you become a part of this circle of greed system? More so, what I wonder is why is America so materialistic? Why everyone is running after making more and more money so that they can spend more and more?

Is the goal of our life only to buy stuffs and spend dollars? What is the American culture giving back to this world? Because America is the land of opportunities. The land of the American dream. Is this the American dream? Excessive materialism and consumerism stemming from an insatiable greed.

Let’s step back and ponder over it a bit. You don’t have to live like a monk. But maybe if you try to live like one, you will learn a lot. This world is for everything one to live. All living beings. Not only for the rich and greedy human beings.

Conclusion on How Greed for Money Stems from Materialism

So what is your takeaway from how greed for money stems from materialism? How materialistic are you? What is your level of greed for buying all the material possessions you want to have under your belt? Not to belabor this, we all are materialistic. And greedy. It is only about the extent that is up for discussion.

Something to consider what are the repercussions of our greed? Sometimes sustainability might sound too bombastic a term. We talk about global warming and climate change, but how many of you really care? Don’t we think we have only one life and let’s just live it to our fullest? Get all the happiness by buying and spending in our lifespan because we will not get another chance? What is wrong with being selfish?

Is that what the western culture is all about individualistic and not collectivistic? Think only about yourself? Your happiness and your possessions. Is that what the most consumerist countries in the world are all about? Is that what America is not about?