Why we should pity the greedy this Thanksgiving

By Janet Marugg | FāVS News Columnist

Take a moment in this season of gratitude to pity the greedy. Consider the illness of greed and those afflicted with the inability to be satisfied. These people may never know gratitude in their relentless drive to possess and hoard. 

Greed indicates deep insecurities, anxiety, depression and aggression. Neurological images of greedy brains are abnormal in areas related to emotion and empathy. The official diagnosis is “Antisocial Personality Disorder,” and we know people who lack empathy as sociopaths and psychopaths. These people are the most dangerous to society. 

We could say that the greedy aren’t getting the spiritual guidance and mental healthcare they need — that we all need for a healthy society. Greed drives a moral compromise, a disregard for ethics and values in pursuit of things. It promotes a willingness to cause pain to others for personal gain. 

If faith affords providence, the insecurity of the greedy indicates weak faith. The peace of knowing it will, in fact, all work out is only for the generous. It takes a person free from the psychopathy of greed to feel joy, connection and love. 

Why the wealthy are often the loneliest

So, pity the dysfunction of the greedy and those who easily dehumanize and objectify everything and everyone as a means to their end. The greedy are those unable to care for others or experience intimate relationships. Careless people are the loneliest. 

Greedy people are lonely because they are boring. The frictionless life of a money hoarder — a life of purchased comfort without obstacles — is a life without growth. The pursuit of ease and convenience is a recipe for weakness and mediocrity. Suffering sharpens our senses, and those who avoid discomfort by greed and money hoarding weaken our species and threaten human survival. 

The healthiest and most valuable members of the community are those who care for the community. Humans survive because we keep greed in check. People insulated by constant comfort lose the ability to quickly adapt to circumstances — a sign of human devolution. For humans to thrive, we need nongreedy people to thrive. 

Being rather attached to human survival, I’m starting to think we should give no quarter to those dangerously possessed with the hoarding of money and power. Perhaps the filthy rich and morbidly wealthy are the last people who should be in charge. Their affliction disqualifies authority. 

A different kind of greed

Every religion and philosophy worthy of claiming human wisdom cautions us against excess and to hold “all things in moderation.” A life can be ruined by a binge and wasted on a whim. Greed is chronic dissatisfaction and no way to live a life. 

Or is it?

What if we were chronically greedy for peace? What if we had insatiable greed for justice (you can’t have peace without it)? What if we had greed for reducing human harm and hoarded maximized human well-being? Could we go all out for everyone to have the most nourished minds and bodies? 

Can we learn to soothe our personal insecurities and live our providence? What if the soul of our economy is not brutality, hoarding, possession and alienation? What if the soul of our economy is generosity and reciprocity? 

Ah — I am a visionary until my dying day. The thing is, the best I’ve ever felt is when I’m being generous and when I’m helping someone else. People are the richest when they are generous.

The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News. FāVS News values diverse perspectives and thoughtful analysis on matters of faith and spirituality.

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