Fear or Greed

[arkfarmbear]

Many, many years ago I had a boss who told me that if I really studied other people, or ourselves, we would discover that every decision people make boils down to either fear or greed.
On that day I scoffed at his comment and told him I thought he was overly cynical. And wrong!
As I've watched our country deal with multiple horrible situations his words of wisdom come to mind frequently. Seems to me he was correct.

 

[goodwood]

Hmm. those are the only two choices?
i can understand the sentiment but i don't
agree that those are the only two emotions
to choose from.

 

[Mem]

Many, many years ago I had a boss who told me that if I really studied other people, or ourselves, we would discover that every decision people make boils down to either fear or greed.
On that day I scoffed at his comment and told him I thought he was overly cynical. And wrong!
As I've watched our country deal with multiple horrible situations his words of wisdom come to mind frequently. Seems to me he was correct.

I don't buy that shit. The same argument can be said for the people who think God is responsible for anything that happens or there are no accidents in life.

 

[Mem]

Many, many years ago I had a boss who told me that if I really studied other people, or ourselves, we would discover that every decision people make boils down to either fear or greed.
On that day I scoffed at his comment and told him I thought he was overly cynical. And wrong!
As I've watched our country deal with multiple horrible situations his words of wisdom come to mind frequently. Seems to me he was correct.

Today I was at the Dollar Tree and two little kids were in front of me under 10 years old. They had two dollars in their hands and they were so cute they were wondering how much the two items they had cost. I think they were buying these glow sticks that come in a package and are about 18 inches ling. So when it was their turn in line they asked the lady how much it was and she told them they were $2 plus tax. I had taken my own money out to pay for my item and I gave them the 12 cents they needed. I didn't do it out of fear or greed.

 

[B_subgirrl]

Today I was at the Dollar Tree and two little kids were in front of me under 10 years old. They had two dollars in their hands and they were so cute they were wondering how much the two items they had cost. I think they were buying these glow sticks that come in a package and are about 18 inches ling. So when it was their turn in line they asked the lady how much it was and she told them they were $2 plus tax. I had taken my own money out to pay for my item and I gave them the 12 cents they needed. I didn't do it out of fear or greed.

Now that is lovely :smile:

 

[flame boy]

The fear or greed statement sounds like something Gordon Gecko would have used. I don't personally believe that to be true, people are motivated by so many different things - for better or for worse.

 

[HiddenLacey]

Today I was at the Dollar Tree and two little kids were in front of me under 10 years old. They had two dollars in their hands and they were so cute they were wondering how much the two items they had cost. I think they were buying these glow sticks that come in a package and are about 18 inches ling. So when it was their turn in line they asked the lady how much it was and she told them they were $2 plus tax. I had taken my own money out to pay for my item and I gave them the 12 cents they needed. I didn't do it out of fear or greed.

That's called kindness. :wink: I've done the same thing with children who didn't have money. I also did it in the grocery store to a man who didn't have enough money.

You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you. John Wooden


For the OP I understand decisions based on fear, however I try to push greed away from me as it is not a good feeling. Many of us could be greedy and have more, but that wouldn't make me very happy. I would rather help other people which is neither an act of fear or greed. The decision to volunteer is not based on either feeling... so that theory would be incorrect IMO.

 

[helgaleena]

Your old boss was a student of Macchiavelli. There is utility in such theories, but they are not all-encompassing in their scope, because he was such a ruthless cynic. Altruism was too illogical for his view.

 

[deleted3782]

I don't believe any of that stuff. It can be a motivating factor for some, but no all actions. When I held the door open for an old guy today, did I do it for greed or out of fear? When someone made gazpacho for me the other day, fear or greed? When I gave the coffee barista all my spare change, fear or greed (ok, that was greed because I didn't feel like carrying change around all day)...meh you get my point. :tongue:

 

[B_Nick4444]

was he a portfolio manager?

that's actually one of the first things you learn about constructing portfolios, almost verbatim (and, I'm talking formal study, at the professional level, not one of these get rich quick hacks)

so the other posters are correct, we certainly have more existential choices, but when it comes to investing, it's either fear or greed that will fuel your decisions

 

[Bbucko]

Perhaps the sheer number of bad decisions I've made in my life boil down to the fact that I have little fear and no real greed: seems as though if I'd just had more of each, then conventional success would have come my way more easily.

 

[MuscleBoundMan]

well a hell of a lot of them yes... but not all. you know i am at a point in life where money no longer matters, i will never need more than i have and it has truly enlightened me to my motivations in so many things in the past. success changes you behavior in so many ways that you know yourself it shouldn't. i wish i could say that i was enlightened before, but the truth is that i didn't really free myself of it until i didn't need it any longer.