Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The Consequences of Greed

Here's a question for those who harp on about the consequences of greed to the greedy: if a certain path leads to long-term negative repercussions for the person pursuing it, doesn't it stand to reason that a greedy person would avoid that path?

4 comments:

Maarten said...

Don't you know that greed implies stupidity? ;)

OBVIOUSLY greedy people don't care about the long term! (Blank-out about how they run a business like that!)

Daniel said...

Actually, I don't think a person can conclude anything simply from the fact that a person is greedy.

Even if greed was defined here.

But is it in the long-term interests of a person to pursue his own interests? Definitely.

--The Nearby Pen

Tits McGee said...

There is a certain path that leads to long-term negative repercussions that a greedy agent would indeed avoid, and that is one whose effects occur after the expected life-span of the agent.

e.g. polluting the earth would be acceptable if the consequences of pollution occur after a greedy person's death.

There are certainly many people with no descendants (/ none that they care for) who will outlive them.

and that's where the damage of greed lies.

Tits McGee said...

** that they would not avoid