Greed

“Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!” (Ecclesiastes 5:10 NLT)

I love chips. No matter how many chips I eat, I never feel like I have had enough. I justify my bad habit with various excuses: Chips are made of vegetables, so that should make them okay, right?  I exercise, thus I should be able to eat whatever I want. Compared to others, my diet is not so bad. I indulge in these unhealthy snacks, because I am seeking comfort, but I end up feeling bloated and uncomfortable the next day. 

Food is essential for survival, but excess calories can lead to weight gain and disease. Although most of us understand this concept, we continue to eat more than we require to fuel our bodies. Our craving for comfort leads to discomfort. We seek satisfaction in futile ways. 

Similarly, money is a necessary part of life. Money can be exchanged for food, shelter, clothes, and other essentials. However, studies have shown that a person’s quality of life does not go up significantly after a certain amount of wealth. 

While most of us have experienced the discomfort of gluttony, we might not understand the harmful effects of greed. Greed is insatiable. It leads a person to imagine that more money will bring more comfort, happiness, worthiness, and security. This fallacy drives people to pursue every avenue of avarice. They exploit people and nature without remorse. At the end of the road, they find meaningless misery and dissatisfaction.