Is Greed the theme throughout the Universe?

I had an interesting discussion with a friend of mine yesterday about the state of the world. We both came to the conclusion that if there was a "theme" for our world, that it would most definitely be greed. People throughout history have killed others through Greed, whether its monetary, materialistic, religious, etc. Greed has a firm foothold in everything and anything corrupted in this world. Greed, being a step away from selfishness, is the corruption of selflessness or love.

Now this theme of selfishness or selflessness also exists inside us. More specifically the Heart Chakra reflects those positive or negative traits in us. Would that mean that this universe is modeled after that specific chakra? As a whole people can be either selfish or selfless, feel love or hate. It seems rather black and white but it also has a sort of yin/yang vibe to it all.

So if this universe was indeed modeled after the Heart Chakra, what sort of themes would other universes have? Do we exist in a "mid-tier" universe? And can we ascend to higher ones if we live our lives on a path of selflessness?

a reply to: mrdeadfolx

I don't know the answer to that, but I do know that the ancient peoples thought of the world and themselves as intrinsically linked together.

Once dualism appeared in our thinking and we moved into thinking about ourselves as separate beings, the psychopathic few raised their ugly little heads and greed developed steadily until today its hit the headlines head-on. Suddenly we were not all pulling in the same direction and unless aliens have not had the same consciousness evolution that we have, we have to face it that since man on this planet is the first creature to have the 'eye' to create, we won't know until we meet.

a reply to: mrdeadfolx

No, it's limited to infantile humans, that's why the reptilians can control us so easily.

a reply to: Shiloh7

We're all still linked together, it's just through different means anymore. Materialistic means that are bound to fail sooner or later. One thing that won't fail however is selfless love. I mean none of this would exist without love in the first place. The atoms that exist, exist because they harmonize instead of antagonize one another. This whole universe's conception was based off a God who created us through Love. It's so simple and yet those few of us that are driven by selfish desires and their inexhaustible greed make it more difficult for the rest of us to co-exist with one another. I can't say I know the answer to my own question either but if this is the theme that dominates all existence, then I'm not terribly impressed by it.

It would be so much easier to ponder such things if there weren't so much garbage in our heads to filter the thoughts through.

Nobody really thinks their own thoughts as the way they reason is the way they have been conditioned to reason.

All one has to do is stop being a busy body for a time and observe nature to realize the entire universe or whatever isn't based on greed so much as things taking what they need and leaving the rest for another.

Nature does not practice a scorched earth policy as humans do and politics doesn't enter into it, Anarchy is nature's modus operandi, anarchy is what we are conditioned to fear by those who oppose it.

We only have what we are given to work with, or at least that's what we have been led to believe.

People are the problem, I choose not to expose myself to them any more than absolutely necessary but they just keep coming for me regardless.

It is all a fiction, reality is all that remains after one stops believing in everything.

Anyway....

a reply to: ldyserenity

Wait, wouldn't it have been the Reptilians that allowed us to become greedy in the first place?

When considering greed and selfishness, as an example of the process:
-Some schmoe needs a ride, you have a car but don't give schmoe a ride because you can't afford to use the gas to run it and schmoe accuses you of being selfish.

Are you selfish?, is schmoe selfish in that he lays a guilt trip on you for not using your property and fuel to drive him wherever?, Is the company that makes your gas selfish in that it's priced so high?, Are The licensing, registration and insurance companies you are forced to do business with to operate the vehicle selfish (at least the actuarial/human component) ?.

In a free and natural scenario, would any of this even come up?.

We are all being herded around like livestock by a few particularly selfish entities which try to distance themselves from liability by denying they are the same as us.

it's really quite bizarre if one takes the time to think about it....

a reply to: mrdeadfolx

Sure, they introduced religion/ materialism but if it wasn't in our nature, it wouldn't have made a difference.

Greed has poisoned mens souls, has barracaded the world in hate and goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed.

It's not all men, just those in power that are of the utmost concern. The world could be free and beautiful but we have indeed lost our way. More than machinery we need humanity, more than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. As we ignore the needs, you only need to look around to see they are lost.

Yes, yes, I am paraphrasing Chaplin.

a reply to: MyHappyDogShiner

It is quite bizarre when you think about it. The biggest underlying issue in the schmoe scenario is trust though. Do I trust this person not to hurt me if I pick him up? That's the most important factor in my opinion. There's been numerous times where someone picked up a stranger and got the short end of the stick. In which case it still comes back to Greed or Love. Is this person greedy enough that he's going to injure me and take my car? Or is he a loving person that will graciously accept the help without any ulterior motives.

a reply to: mrdeadfolx
wow that's a great way to describe love, i never thought of that

Religion was invented to save certain people from having ever to consider the possibility of their selfishness, or the fact they exploit others by way of justification through an all powerful entity/deity.

What does a religious figure really do for his sustenance?, I mean really...It begins to look like the same thing as the kings of old when pondered for long enough, all needs met by the voluntary contributions of the "flock" with no liabilities for services which are rendered or not, considering it is the will of someone/ something no one has ever seen or conversed with by any other way than their own delusions.

Same for governments and other, so called "authorities" which have simply incorporated to limit their liability for services rendered or not.. "Authority Incorporated"

Isn't it selfish of one to go through their life feeling they deserve somehow to live an afterlife ?, and selfish to look down on those who do not believe the same thing they believe?, so incredibly selfish to refuse to accept death even....

How is it that anyone can possess a whole bunch of real estate and deny everyone and everything the use of it for whatever purpose, when it isn't being put to any good use by them?.

Human-kind is stuck in the old "Tribe" mentality, the different segments of current day society attest to that.

Tribe (herd) mentality had it's place once and served a protective purpose, but it is time for humans to grow up and move on to a more fair way of existence that doesn't justify arbitrarily exploiting one segment of society over another.

The way things are, are the way things we allow them to be.

Ignorance of reality is no excuse.

Everything is a fiction, take the red pill, go on walkabout forever.

a reply to: ldyserenity

a reply to: mrdeadfolx

Greed, being a step away from selfishness, is the corruption of selflessness or love.

Greed is hardly a step away from selfishness...

Its actually the epitome of it...

a reply to: mrdeadfolx

From my point of view this is a lower level place not mid. Mid is where there is equal greed and selflessness and as you have noticed greed is on higher level here than selflessness.

Isn't fear selfish?.

Fear of loss, fear of injury, fear of being taken advantage of...fear of basically everything....

Not the same fear as animals have, animals have good reason to fear people, just look at what we do to each other and consider that the majority of people consider animals to be somehow lower, inferior to people...they see a lot more than we give them credit for.

There are plenty of selfish people out there who are more than happy to exploit the selfish fears of selfish people and claim to be truthful and righteous and selfless and good.

They are the one's to avoid, yet they are the one's who run this world.

Eventually my wanting off of this planet will come to be whether I change my mind or not, which points out the true meaninglessness of it all.

Go ahead, grab ahold of a delusion if it makes you feel better about things you can't and never will be able to control.

There are always others out there offering a delusion or two to help one sleep at night.

Seems to all come down to survival and whatever the individual has been taught to equate with survival. Survival of self versus survival of kind.

Which is a more valid definition of survival? Where does the delineation between a person's kind and the rest of the human race (or Reality in general) rest?

In the US, the average person's Kind only includes their immediate family members, and whatever pets they own. Extended from there, it's the state association that provides the version of identity that must be preserved and defended as personal survival; although obviously the visceral urgency is muted in connection with defending and preserving it. Lesser or greater versions of community inclusiveness are seen as Socialism, and publicly derided as improper definitions of kind.

In many third world countries, that community extends to cousins, aunts, uncles, and extended family that they grew up knowing on a daily basis. In ancient societies, the entire clan, or group of clans (based on ethnicity) constituted the in kind collective that was seen to be the key to personal survival of self and identity. In the Middle East we see this ethnocentric view of personal survival clashing with the Western version of family/state personal survival all the time.

Psychopathy is an extreme manifestation of the personal urge to survive at all costs, with greed/selfishness simply the definition of such relentless competition in the minds of those who the psychopath has bested as a result of that single-minded devotion to isolated and individual survival. Greed and selfishness is just an aberrant expression of a basic biological imperative. Not in the perception of the greedy, selfish *sshole, but in the perception of those people who have to figure out a way to deal with that *sshole as he runs roughshod over everyone around him in his personal adherence to what seems to him to be a very natural requirement.

I do suspect it is a driving factor in any sentient life.

The biggest difference would be how the species approaches the situation. There is a lot of interesting math and game theory that suggest the best way to satiate greed is by actually directly helping the society in which you reside.

On our planet, we have yet to make that realization a reality. It seems to be some sort of natural barrier before meaningful space travel.

There are three things that dominate most peoples mindset when it comes to food, liquid-able assets and importance:

Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie
Me first
I don't care about you

This originates from the ego or 'the me'. Taking care of numero uno.

If Greed is selfishness. EVERYTHING is done through self interest. Altruism? It simply doesn't exist. I have yet to find a case in which an action is a completely selfless act.

Charity? Does it not make the giver "feel good", that is a selfish benefit.

I hold selfishness to be a virtue.

a reply to: Degradation33

The concept of selfishness is also subject to flawed interpretation. It is defined by how one perceives what is "self." In this, an act can appear completely selfless to the majority, but if the actor views all to be "self," then it was actually an act of selfishness. Greed can be viewed in the same way.

The difference is the end result, which can vastly differ depending on which perception society/culture binds itself.