Human nature of wanting more

(Picture courtesy of Single Mind)

Lately I have joined the forum I used to comment and share with and this topic has been a hot topic.

By nature, as we learned back in economics 101, man has an unlimited wants and needs. Because of this notion we developed a mentality of greed and envy, two of the seven capital sins. When we were born we were just small creatures dependent to our parents. When we grow to childhood we are faced with the experience of having things because our dads and moms love us that much so they buy things for us. We develop the sense of ownership then into a form of greed. We don't want other people to touch or play with our things. We keep on saying "mine, mine, mine" just like my little niece. 

Envy develops when we begin to compare what we have with others. Fueled by somebody else showiness and flagrant boasting that theirs is better than yours one begins to think that what they have is inferior or second class and because of that we feel the same way so we tend to want what they have in order to satisfy ourselves that we are not inferior to them. 

Wanting more in a sense is not that bad. If wanting more will lead you to greater achievements then it is a good thing. But it becomes bad when one pursues it just to be in the same level as others. Again envy starts when one compares oneself to  others. That is why one should have a standard on which one has to focus. In order for a person to say to himself has achieve something great one has to prove that to himself first before others.

This is something that most people don't grasp. Your inability to surpass your neighbor would only lead you to depression. Because you have to prove to your neighbor that you are better you forget to see clearly and that leads you to rather satisfy your neighbor's standard rather than yours. Isn't that insane. You rather do a lot of work and sacrifices just not to be branded as second class. In the end you will regret that it seems that you have never live the fullness of life because you have been chasing the wind for all of your life.

As I have always advice others life is a choice. You choose your standards. You choose your battles. If for you the only important thing in life is to surpass somebody else then what would happen if you did surpass them? I think life will be boring and all your efforts would have been a waste because in the end all the things that you bought out of envy will just be there dusting because in reality you will get bored with them and you wont be able to play or enjoy them because you have to work harder and longer to pay them of. In truth you just traded it for another thing called DEBT and you also loss one great thing which is called TIME.