“Greed is good”: Try Again

Many of us remember this line from the Michael Douglas character in the movie Wall Street. Yet a lot of people forget that Gordon Gecko was a lamentable person, not a hero. How much is too much? A small yet very influential segment of our society never believes that they have enough. Were we put on this earth to accumulate possessions? Or were we put here to use our God given talents to serve others? What point does massive wealth serve other than gratification of an ego or a need to feel superior to other human beings? The economic mess of the past few years can be largely attributed to those were never satiated. People who already had more money that they could ever need to live a comfortable lifestyle engaged in risky strategies with OPM (other people’s money), all in the thirst for more, more, more. Now that those actions have failed, the fund managers, bankers and politicos walk away with plenty while their investors are left holding the bag. Greed is not good, it is evil. No one should be denied the right to pursue a decent living and to achieve all they are capable of achieving. But at some point, its time to recognize that you have enough. Back off the thirst for massive wealth and devote your time and energies to more philanthropic pursuits. Money alone cannot buy happiness.