When you think about it now, the world can't survive without negativity. It's kinda like a balance in the world.
Famous or powerful people that are known for being greedy, they practically changed the world. And when I mean by "change the world" in good ways, and bad ways. In good ways: We begin to advance, take farther steps to better education, medicine, discoveries, etc. In bad ways: People use the money for their own motives, threaten/kill people to protect themselves, or damage the Earth in the process. (think about it, like in The Wolf of Wall Street)
Yes, because there is a difference between greed and ambition. Ambition is wanting to do or achieve something, and greed is wanting to get or take something. We still have to have something to drive us.
It's amazing but also depressing and disheartening how many of you seem convinced that greed is the primary motivator of human achievement. You can really smell the pro-capitalist upbringing.
It's amazing but also depressing and disheartening how many of you seem convinced that greed is the primary motivator of human achievement. You can really smell the pro-capitalist upbringing.
What gives you the right to make assumptions about people you don't know?
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Just one of the inhabitants of planet Earth.
Rarely does the minecraft forum contain facts, just the opinions of it's members.
Greed is never a good thing. Like Phrossbite said, there is a difference between greed and ambition.
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I'm on a bit of a hiatus from playing Minecraft, so I'm not so active in this forum, either. I still check it though, and participate in a few discussions.
It's an inference from personal experience and probability. If you grew up in the United States, you were almost inevitably brought up on the idea that capitalism was some sort of holy grail of the modern world, savior of free societies and most pure expression of democracy, or something like that. And a majority of people on this forum are from the United States. And it shows.
Thing is however greed can drive ambition. Which is exactly one of the reasons why the shortest answer to the question is not necessarily. The other reason is because debating topics like this make my head hurt and I wish people would quit it.
That's actually true - I never really thought of it that way.
Why do you wish people would quit it, though? You don't have to participate if it stresses you out. Personally, I think that polite discussions like the ones on this forum are really good to make you think about things.
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I'm on a bit of a hiatus from playing Minecraft, so I'm not so active in this forum, either. I still check it though, and participate in a few discussions.
It's an inference from personal experience and probability. If you grew up in the United States, you were almost inevitably brought up on the idea that capitalism was some sort of holy grail of the modern world, savior of free societies and most pure expression of democracy, or something like that. And a majority of people on this forum are from the United States. And it shows.
They might be opposites, but if the world kept giving, I'm speaking monetary value, who would be the one to step up and doing new, better creations for the world?
Scientists, engineers, inventors, artists, explorers, etc. etc.? More or less anyone who wanted to? Are you trying to imply that if people weren't greedy, they wouldn't invent or improve things?
Be realistic. Research needs resources, not money, to advance. It happens that in a capitalist economy, researchers are given money in order to buy resources. In another economic system (one not based on greed), this need not be the case. Again, you're looking at this with far too narrow a worldview, and as a result are taking some rather arbitrary things for granted as though they're universal/absolute truths. They're not.
And no, money is not the motive for the vast, vast majority of researchers and inventors out there. They're smart people; if they were after money, they'd pick a different career path where they're likely to earn a lot more. If anything, the flow of money (and, by proxy, resources) in most, if not all, modern economies prevents many people who want to research and invent from being able to do so.
Be realistic. Research needs resources, not money, to advance. It happens that in a capitalist economy, researchers are given money in order to buy resources. In another economic system (one not based on greed), this need not be the case. Again, you're looking at this with far too narrow a worldview, and as a result are taking some rather arbitrary things for granted as though they're universal/absolute truths. They're not.
And no, money is not the motive for the vast, vast majority of researchers and inventors out there. They're smart people; if they were after money, they'd pick a different career path where they're likely to earn a lot more. If anything, the flow of money (and, by proxy, resources) in most, if not all, modern economies prevents many people who want to research and invent from being able to do so.
And if resources didn't cost money, people would just horde resources. Greed isn't something which eeeevil
megacorporations foisted on us and brainwashed us to accept; a certain level of greed is just part of human nature.
In fact, it's part of nature in general. Greedy animals hog resources, and animals with more resources are more
likely to survive, and animals who survive with leftover resources have more resources to pass to their offspring.
Does that mean that I think at this point of time in human development, greed is a good thing? No. Am I saying
that people can't be generous? No. Am I saying that people shouldn't be generous? No. I'm saying that no matter
what, in every nation, under every government, greed will exist on a large scale, and greedy people will usually rise
to power since they tend to accumulate more money and resources.
And if resources didn't cost money, people would just horde resources.
Sure, if they're greedy... which is sort of the entire point of the hypothetical scenario this thread was made to discuss.
Look, literally nobody is saying that greed isn't a part of human nature. You're completely missing the point of the entire thread if that's what you're getting out of this.
Saying "oops guess my point went over your head" doesn't absolve you of making pointless or nonsensical posts. It isn't a catch-all response. If you have a point to make, you may as well just make it. Otherwise you're only wasting everyone's time, including your own.
Just one of the inhabitants of planet Earth.
Rarely does the minecraft forum contain facts, just the opinions of it's members.Famous or powerful people that are known for being greedy, they practically changed the world. And when I mean by "change the world" in good ways, and bad ways. In good ways: We begin to advance, take farther steps to better education, medicine, discoveries, etc. In bad ways: People use the money for their own motives, threaten/kill people to protect themselves, or damage the Earth in the process. (think about it, like in The Wolf of Wall Street)
What gives you the right to make assumptions about people you don't know?
Just one of the inhabitants of planet Earth.
Rarely does the minecraft forum contain facts, just the opinions of it's members.So you have some evidence supporting such a claim? Now would be a good time to share it.
Just one of the inhabitants of planet Earth.
Rarely does the minecraft forum contain facts, just the opinions of it's members.That's actually true - I never really thought of it that way.
Why do you wish people would quit it, though? You don't have to participate if it stresses you out. Personally, I think that polite discussions like the ones on this forum are really good to make you think about things.
I am from the States.
But I hate capitalism.
I'm back
That's because you grew up and took a look at the world.
-People as Places as People, Modest Mouse
idk what to do with sigs tbh
click the spoiler for banners and stuff
Greed....
Scientists, engineers, inventors, artists, explorers, etc. etc.? More or less anyone who wanted to? Are you trying to imply that if people weren't greedy, they wouldn't invent or improve things?
And no, money is not the motive for the vast, vast majority of researchers and inventors out there. They're smart people; if they were after money, they'd pick a different career path where they're likely to earn a lot more. If anything, the flow of money (and, by proxy, resources) in most, if not all, modern economies prevents many people who want to research and invent from being able to do so.
And if resources didn't cost money, people would just horde resources. Greed isn't something which eeeevil
megacorporations foisted on us and brainwashed us to accept; a certain level of greed is just part of human nature.
In fact, it's part of nature in general. Greedy animals hog resources, and animals with more resources are more
likely to survive, and animals who survive with leftover resources have more resources to pass to their offspring.
Does that mean that I think at this point of time in human development, greed is a good thing? No. Am I saying
that people can't be generous? No. Am I saying that people shouldn't be generous? No. I'm saying that no matter
what, in every nation, under every government, greed will exist on a large scale, and greedy people will usually rise
to power since they tend to accumulate more money and resources.
Sure, if they're greedy... which is sort of the entire point of the hypothetical scenario this thread was made to discuss.
Look, literally nobody is saying that greed isn't a part of human nature. You're completely missing the point of the entire thread if that's what you're getting out of this.