Forum Post: The evolution of greed. It will be our downfall.

We were all born with a natural instinct to gather and store for survival. A natural instinct to care for family and community. This is human nature.

When modern society was formed, we began to sell out our natural instincts. Survival turned into survival with a little more comfort. Then survival with a little more comfort and a nice view. Then survival with a little more comfort, a nice view, and something pretty to hang around our neck.

Fast forward a few thousand years. With the industrial revolution, came mechanized transportation, modern housing, air conditioning, and television.

We had become somewhat spoiled. Somewhat motivated. Still relatively down to Earth. Still modest enough to appreciate one another, care for one another, and work towards a common goal.

Along the way, the potential for increased personal wealth became more and more intoxicating. It has come to define Western Society. Now, the vast overwhelming majority want to be rich. They want it so badly, they are willing to sell out basic morality to attain it. They WILL sell out basic morality if given the opportunity.

How can I be so sure? That's easy. Human nature plus years of corrupt influence plus opportunity.

Mother Nature did not plan for modern society. She did not plan for the influence of extreme personal wealth. Once attained, we become fully intoxicated. We simply can not process the concept without being corrupted by it. Without compromising our basic morality.

Extreme personal wealth is the single greatest corrupt influence of modern society. With every 'zero' on the paycheck, our basic instincts to care for family and community are compromised.

Those of you who still aren't convinced, consider this:

If God himself gave you the power to end poverty, bring about world peace, and take a bonus of $100,000,000 for yourself, would you do it?

If God himself gave you the power to end poverty, bring about world peace, OR take a bonus of $100,000,000 for yourself, which would you choose?

Which would the vast overwhelming majority choose?

Why do sales of lottery tickets skyrocket with jackpots exceeding 9 figures?

Why are there so often, bitter legal disputes over division of lottery jackpots?

Why do victims of auto, work, and medical accidents and their attorneys so often seek tens or hundreds of millions in 'compensation'?

Why do public figures with new products to promote arrange so many calculated publicity stunts?

Why are commercial plugs and brainwash plots inserted into every segment of every TV show?

Why did Oprah Winfrey, Ellen Degeneres, and Dr Phil all endorse Countrywide, a well known predatory lender by name?

Why do corporate entities donate so much money to political campaigns?

Why are syndicated talk radio hosts paid millions to criticize and vilify 'liberals' and 'progressives'?

Why are financially motivated crimes the most common overall, among convicted politicians?

How did the very concept of 'government' become so incredibly corrupt?

How is it that virtually every developed nation in the world has become riddled with fear, instability, and rising debt?

How and why have so many world leaders and those affiliated become even richer even as their own economies falter?

Why are the richest men and women in the world so incredibly determined to get even richer?

How did the world's wealth become so incredibly concentrated?

Why is the concept of a partial redistribution for the good of all so incredibly divisive and controversial?

How can the richest 1% of America sleep at night with full knowledge that they personally own over 40% of it's wealth?

How can the world's richest 1% sleep at night with full knowledge that they personally own over 40% of it's wealth?

How can the world's richest 85 individuals, almost all of whom call themselves 'humanitarians' or 'philanthropists', who collectively own more personal wealth than the world's poorest 3,000,000,000 people combined live with themselves for one second while exhibiting such Earth shattering hypocrisy?

The answer is greed. The obsessive desire for extreme personal wealth.

Not only is the greatest concentration of wealth in modern times the single greatest underlying cause of economic instability around the world. The very concept of extreme personal wealth is the most intoxicating and corrupt influence in the history of mankind.

It will be our downfall.