November 6, 2012
Journal 13

Transcendentalism and Greed

I believe that greed is a real problem in our culture and throughout the world.  It has led to murder, war, hate, some if not all of our environmental problems, and poverty.  Most people know the saying "live simply so that others may simply live", and I wish everyone could live by it.  If we were less greedy, there may be less conflicts over material things.  One of the reasons more sustainable practices and lifestyles are slow to catch on is because of businesses and economic interests.  people don't want to spend the extra money or go without something in order to "be green".  Our materialistic culture can also make us less happy.  We are constantly comparing ourselves and what we have with others and what they have.  The more one has, the more one wants.  It's a vicious cycle.  We focus so much on things that we lose sight of what's important and what really makes us happy.  A great example of this is my childhood.  I had plenty of toys, but not as much as other kids around me.  However, that didn't really bother me.  I was too busy having fun with my brother, my friends, and my imagination.  I was also content with less money.  I felt richer than the Queen of England if I had five dollars in my piggy bank.  I remember that one time I found a 25 dollar hourglass with two dragons on it that I really wanted.  When I saved up the money, I felt like I had so much cash.  But even then, the hourglass wasn't the most precious thing to me.  I gave it to my brother one day just because I loved him and I wanted to give him something special.  My biggest fear is that society could get so greedy that we are unwilling to make sacrifices for the people and things that truly matter.

However, some materialism is not so bad.  We do need some things, such as food, cloths, shelter, and stability.  These materials are good and necessary for basic survival and happiness.  Materialism is only bad when it is taken too far.  I believe that by living simpler and by living for each other we can combat our greedy nature.