'Greed/Generosity' Articles
Generosity isn’t the opposite of greed. Appetites have a natural balance all their own, and they don’t go to the damaging level until we start twisting our views of them in our mind. But we can’t move into a culture of abundance without facing our judgement of greed. We can only see what we allow ourselves to see, and ultimately that is the spirit of generosity. Generosity is doing something in the world, give something to someone or to the world itself, because you can.
“He who is greedy is always in want.” Horace (Ancient Roman Poet. 65 BC-8 BC)
“Too many have dispensed with generosity in order to practice charity.” Albert Camus (French Novelist, Essayist and Playwright, 1957 Nobel Prize for Literature, 1913-1960)
“I wonder if it isn’t just cowardice instead of generosity that makes us give tips.” Will Rogers (American entertainer, 1879-1935)
“Generosity is nothing else than a craze to possess. All which I abandon, all which I give, I enjoy in a higher manner through the fact that I give it away. To give is to enjoy possessively the object which one gives.” Jean-Paul Sartre (French existentialist philosopher and writer, 1905-1980)
Creatures of Appetites
Greed and generosity are pretty central “moral” issues in many peoples live. We are naturally motivated creatures, and greed and generosity are two sides of the same coin. One can be greedy for opportunities to be generous even, so first let’s focus on greed. We are creatures of appetites, and this is abundantly evident. The cookie monster is a character that embodies it. If we weren’t creatures of appetites, why would anyone ever have long conversations about food which are actually pretty common? Why would it be considered a truism that sex sells? But we are motivated by our appetites,… Seek More
Long Term Greed
Generosity isn’t the opposite of greed, and people mistake this. Generosity isn’t a noble learned virtue, and the whole concept of these “higher ideals” has seemed very damaging to me. Generosity is a form of symbiosis and acceptance, and perhaps even willingness to enhance the exchange process. Even science supports this. The species that dominate their ecological niches have at least some measure of altruism. It’s sort of a “long term greed”. Altruism and greed are linked. As I have said before, every strength we have arises from one of our vices, one of our weaknesses. Maybe a culture of… Seek More
What is Natural?
The “natural” to some, that is really unnatural, arises from judgment. It is still a process of thought. When we accidentally brush our stove, do we hesitate and say “Is this a good pain or a bad pain?”. Nope, nor do we need to. Nature has provided us a very accurate, and adequate way for experiencing life and reacting to it, and it isn’t confined to pain. Teenage boy experiences sexual attraction to a teenage girl. Is this wrong? But wrong does creep in. Also natural would be this teenage boy spending a lot of time with his Dad, but… Seek More
Self vs. Ego
What’s the difference between presence and present? Present is ego. Presence is self. There are two types of instincts? No, there is one type of instinct. One whole world of instinct. My definition of ego is an “idea of self”, a self image. To use religious speech, it’s a false idol. Most orthodox believers are the product of societies impact on religion, and the two don’t remain separate. People bring their society into the presence of the divine, and set it up as an idol rather than accepting that the presence of the divine is silence, featureless, transcendent, and encompassing.… Seek More
Greed and Generosity
Greed and generosity are not the diametric opposites people think them to be, but why do we separate and oppose these in our minds? It’s sort of how our society is structured. There are those with drive, and when we are angry at them we call them greedy. They tell us that we should be generous, as in submissive to their ambitions, because they are “moral”. Sometimes they are, but it’s sort of a drama we play, and our society does not encourage us to reflect on what’s actually motivating us. When we are told we are being greedy we… Seek More
Generosity to Ourselves
We begin with generosity to ourselves. Generosity is forgiving. Forgiving is powerful generosity, but it’s also in a sense greed. Because when you allow yourself to see, you realize that whatever you are forgiving isn’t something “personal”. You won’t forgive the person for being who they are, and where they are. You realize it wasn’t about you, and you free you from the issue. Would generosity then be defined as any moment where you part with a piece of yourself for the good of another? I would say yes, and no. Generosity is giving a part of yourself, but it… Seek More
Ye Are Gods
The indomitable human spirit is true of us. Even Jesus says at one point in the Bible “Have I not said, Ye are Gods?”, but people weren’t listening. People were too busy making themselves into devils, too busy feeling guilt, and punishing the guilty. Guilt is not virtuous, and never can be. Guilt is not justice. Justice is in the witnessing mind, not in the judging mind. Guilt is the result of a judgement. How many times did Jesus say “behold”, and God before him? How often did the Buddha say ‘Hey, listen to what I’m saying‘? I don’t recall him… Seek More
