The Fourth Deadly Workplace Sin: Greed

the " greed is good" reminds me of a movie , named Wall street,
and the great speech in it by a caracter named gordon gekko,

I wondered who was first with this statement ?

Donald,
I had planned not on commenting anymore. However, I found this one interesting.

Are greed and ambition the same? NO!

Here's the definition of GREED:
An excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth.

I think it fits.

(Notice the word EXCESSIVE. Usually EXCESSIVE behavior is a sign of mental instability. Some may say emotional but emotional is still mental.)

(Now notice the words MORE THAN. Again, an imbalance. A driven imbalance of some sort. The motivating factor being the cause. )

Not all success driven people are greedy. They are simply success driven. It's part of their makeup. A great deal of the time the actual material product is not the reward. It's the success of completion.

Take a look at some scientist, inventors etc. Where would we be without their excessive behavior? (some may say)
A great deal of them did not become wealthy.
Dr Salk for example. He was driven for a cure. Probably excessive at times.
(sôlk), Jonas Edward 1914-1995.
American microbiologist who developed the first effective killed-virus vaccine against polio (1954).

Greed enters in when one seeks for, only personal gain. No matter what it is. Fame, fortune, etc.
Along with greedy attributes comes miserly. One not willing to share. Compulsive hoarding.

However, there are certain types of not willing to share that are mandatory to me. "YOU Donald!"

Now, however, concerning finances, education, profession etc. Never allow anyone to bilk you out of them by THEIR own greediness.

Guilt trips, manipulation, are all signs of someone trying to bilk a person out of something. It doesn't matter the reason behind it. It's corrupt and easily could be based on greed of some sort. It can be emotional greed, financial greed. There are actually individuals who love to volunteer out of greed. They usually want the very best positions AND ALL to fullfill a desire in themselves and it is a greedy desire. Control, power, authority, notoriety. A desire to control it all.

Ambition is simply wanting to succeed in your given field.
Greed however, may enter in when you will do anything to anyone for any reason to succeed. Which in return usually includes at some point criminal activity in some form.

Donald, I hate greed but love ambition and success. I love to succeed.

Donald J Trump, you are an amazing man.

Jerilynn

"Greed is good" is often-quoted from you...? Funny...I thought it was from Michael Douglas's character in Wall Street.

Dear Mr. Trump,

I'm with you. Greed is good in the workplace because that is exactly why we are in the workplace...for the money!

Recently a client and I were discussing the details of a transaction that had gone sideways with one of their suppliers. There were some emotional issues and my client had a long term relationship with the person who had let them down. Finally I declared "it's about the money" and instantly the situation cleared itself. The client knew that they needed to move on and not deal with the supplier who had failed them because the MONEY meant more then the relationship. It was a BUSINESS relationship not a FRIENDSHIP.

You see most people live in a world were they go to work, their pay is automatically deposited in their bank and life goes on. For others...people like us...we live in a world were we must deliver everyday and that means delivering the goods...the money!

Greed is good. Making money is great. Helping clients make money is great because a person who helps people make money...will make a lot of money on the way.

Patience is important as well. If a person shows too much greed the other parties involved will become nervous.

We all want to win. We all want to make money and most of us know that good things take a little time to come together.

Mitch Drew
BECK Agencies
mitch@beckbc.com
www.beckbc.com

Mr. Trump,

I have been following up with your deadly workplace sin articles until now and they are helpful and of course true.
1. Pride:- Self confidence is good and if I am not proud of myself first who is going to be?

2. Envy:- Jealousy is bad of course the bad one but in Ethiopia they say positive jealousy is always good which motivates you to do your best and be the best and it is recommended to have that one. "I have to do something better"

3. Anger:- Yes of course, anger is scary however for those who need a firm and serious look, give them their monthly pill.

4. Greed:- I don't know about this but my believe is if you are a giver and there is always a way for you to get the feedback so other than being greedy it is suggested to be smart. You can give less and gain more... that is not greed ... at least you have to invest a little to get more.

Mr. Trump:

I don't know if you actually read any of these blogs after you write your piece either way I think it is important to comment on this one.

I would say that most people whether they like or agree with the bible would say that it is a basic structure of ethical and moral values that if we as people were to follow them ( and by the way there are similar stories in other holy books) we would be better off.

First why make these Sins deadly isn't that extreme? The reason is that when you are partaking of the sin, it doesn't feel good. It hurts others and eventually yourself. And in the end, both on a personal and on a societal level there is death. It causes the death of the person that you can look in the mirror and feel good about being. Will your legacy be of a person who had a positive impact while they were here or someone who raped and pillaged and thank goodness they are finally gone, one less of that type to worry about?

It seems to me from your comments you are confusing Greed with Desire. Desire is not bad. Desire to manifest your destiny to your optimum potential is what it seems we are here on Earth to do.

Greed happens when you cross the line. In the bible there are several stories about characters that wanted more than what was there. There was Lucifer the highest Angel that instead of being happy with his blessings wanted more then what was his in the great balance of the Universe and he fell in to hell. Then there is Eve who wanted to know about evil and not just what good had to offer her. There was the king who was not happy with the songs sung about David killing tens of thousands to his thousands again causing his demise. These are a few. There are several more.

Why are there so many stories warning about Greed? Greed causes a fundamental imbalance. Yes, you should cultivate all that is yours to have while at the same time leaving some for others, not taking what is theirs. Sometimes these others are neighbors, sometimes they are the people of the future not yet born. I think we all have a feeling in our gut when we are crossing this line. It is just that some have learned to ignore it. When you take from others it causes a chain reaction that will eventually come back. Whether you call it karma or not is one thing.

Greed is stealing and when you steal from others you cause a chain reaction of negativity where they will eventually steal from someone else or suffer more then they had to, more then they were supposed to, in this lifetime. I think we have a lot of that going on now-a-days.

I know you and your colleagues are incredibly capable of manifesting your optimum potential in this lifetime. I would just put to you that possessing it all materialistically and not taking anyone else into consideration might leave an emptiness that doesn't make it a success at all.

I am glad you admitted that you thought Greed is Good though. Admitting it is the first step to recovery! :o)

Thanks for listening.

Mr. Trump,

As you put in your book, Art Of The Deal, "if you're going to be thinking anyway, you may as well think big." You said once, "develop your momentum in business;" as a key to financial success... I'm just starting to use this method, Mr. Trump, and already, I am predicting big things to be happening for me.

Someone else, who will attribute his business success to this, is Bill Zanker, president of the school you've taught for. If he didn't "think big," why on earth would he pay you a million dollars to teach for him, lol?

D.L.

Dear Donald,
Greed is good is dependant on whether it is a quality that is shared by the team and is driven for the good of a company. I have worked on a consultancy basis in organisations where the Greed has been by divisions of the corporation only to achieve a larger budget for the following financial year and the competition between divisions is counter productive. When you consider Greed it is essentially a selfish quality that drives the individual for more recognition, better package or prestige - I have no time for this approach. When you work for a corporation you are employed for your talents and professionalism, when I am told that some thing can not be done is is too difficult to attempt, I take this as a challenge and make the so called impossible happen. My teams have all shared in the success of projects and members should derive job satisfaction just by knowing that they have delivered exceptional outcomes that benefit the company. Actions speak louder than words and people who are motivated by greed are not the people I employ.

I guess I can learn something new every day. I can't believe I went through my whole life to this point without really knowing the definition true of greed. I never realized I am greedy, but I definitely am. I want more than I need, and more than I deserve - but I'm willing to invest my life in an effort to rise to level of worthiness. I have no issue with profiting from my association with others, but I don't want to diminish others in the process. So I don't see where that should be a deadly sin.

Here I thought greed was that unquenchable hunger in ones soul that burned and wouldn't let them rest until they had it all. That kind of obsession will completely corrode ethics, morals, character, relationships. It is sociopathic. Ultimately, that destroys.