GREED IS GOOD

Sometimes I ask myself “Why do I have to work so hard for my studies and my job?” ”Is there
something enjoyable about advancing my studies and toiling for my job?” I may say that I enjoy
my studies and my work. But this is undoubtedly not so convincing since there are better ways
that I could surely enjoy my life.

“Your future is yours to make and today is the best time for you to prepare. You will never know if
tomorrow will be conducive for you. Everything that you do today will determine who you will be
in the future. You have to paddle your own canoe and you will see bright future ahead.” These
are the words that are still echoing in my mind. These are the words I ought and should not
forget as these are the words that my late father has inculcated in my mind. And these words,
perhaps is the reason why I enjoy or at least want what I am doing. Because I have faith in the
person from whose wisdom these words have been spoken.

And so I thought that someday I will be wealthy, that time will come for me to be recognized, and
that I will be free to travel the world. And so I continued dreaming and strive so hard to live my
dreams.

But my father was gone. And what I often hear now is “Bro you have to take a break, you have to
enjoy your life while you are still young. You can no longer be young again once you grow old.
You will never know if you will still be alive tomorrow”.

Which do I have to embrace? To be contented of what the present offers or struggle and wait for
tommorrow’s surprises?

This situation of choosing between the present or the future – contentment or ambition – has
been exemplified in the movie Wall Street.

In the Wall Street movie, two opposing statements from two clashing personalities have been the
subject of debate since the movie became a box office hit in the 1980’s. This has divided the
views of those people whose ideologies support the ambitious Gordon Gekko who became
fealthy rich with his skills in financial markets and those people who are contented to be like Carl
Fox who chose harmonious relationship with other people over the promise of wealth.

On the one hand, it was heard from Gordon Gekko “that greed is good”, quoting from his
statement when he was confronted by the stakeholders of Teldar Paper – “The point is, ladies
and gentlemen, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed
clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its
forms - greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge - has marked the upward surge of mankind,
and greed - you mark my words - will not only save Teldar Paper but that other malfunctioning
corporation called the USA. Thank you.”

On the other hand, Carl Fox, an ordinary employee of an Airline told his son that “Money is only
something you need in case you don't die tomorrow...”

Each of the above statement has their points of argument.

Given the definition of Greed as the excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one
needs or deserves. It may be argued that Greed is good.

Greed may be the cause of evil. But greed is not something that is inherently evil. Equating
greed with evil will deter the holistic development of a person, puts a corporation into jeopardy,
and slows down the economic development of a country. Equating greed with evil will undermine
competence, the cause of human development and the very reason for the survival of human
race.

People, corporations, and nations are greedy. All are greedy! It is through greed that people will
survive the food chain, it is through greed that corporations will survive from competition and
bankruptcy, and it is through greed that nations protect themselves from economic downturns. In
other words, greed makes everyone not the “weakest link”.

People who are claiming not to be greedy have more than what they actually need. And those
who do not have enough for themselves desire to have more than what they need. Other than
the Biblical characters, can someone think of a friend or a relative who is not greedy? I’m sure
it’s difficult to think of any person who is not greedy because at one perspective of my diverse
philosophies in life, “Being Greedy” is what characterizes a normal person. The only thing that
differs is the level of greediness.

Greed captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit of mankind. Greed is the reason why
people continues to evolve from the point that not anyone would want to go back to, at the
present that everyone is enjoying, and to the future that everyone is excited about. Without
which, there will be no Nokia that connects people, GMA ang iyong kapuso, and Metro Bank
where you are in good hands.
In today’s information age, people have to capitalize on information in order to become
successful. And so people have to develop the greed of information to survive the challenges of
time. Moreover, greed is no longer limited to surviving in the food chain but surviving in the social
chain. Most people now struggle not for food but for acceptance in the society. And I would like
to call this social greed. People want to be associated with everyone – people want to belong to
those who are good looking that is why we have Vicky Belo, those who are smart, and those who
are wealthy.

The object of greed has considerably changed overtime. And these objects of greed are basically
good. People are greedy with something that pleases, something that satisfies, and something
that is worth enjoying. Greed for beauty, love, wealth, and anything that is good is good. And
now, greed for information and social greed are good.

And so…..do we have to judge Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Laksmi Mittal, Henry Sy, Zobel de
Ayala, John Gokongwei, Manny Villar, Alfoso Yuchenco, etc. for whose greedines, they have
amassed tremendous wealth that an ordinary person could hardly imagine.

Or….do we have to thank Bill Gates for the convenience and fun that his Microsoft has provided
to virtually all people who are using computers and Henry Sy for the shopping centers that has
now replaced Luneta Park and Manila Zoo.

But greed has not just paved the way to the continuous advancement in technology, which
obviously made man’s life easier. Greed has bred social injustices, scam, corruption, and even
war.

Because of greed, the lives of the many have been sacrificed over the ambitious dreams of the
few. Thousands of people died and were injured when America dropped a Hydrogen bomb in
Nagazaki and Hiroshima – this was the cost of early Japanese Government’s ambition to expand
their empire. In the Philippines, many children do not receive proper education, many Filipinos do
not have decent house to live, and several Filipinos die of sickness and hunger – this is what
corruption both from the business and government sectors has resulted to, again, because of
greed.

Now, everyone is expeiencing Global Warming. And with the greedy motive that drives every
corporation, the effects of global warming are inevitable. We have recently witnessed how
Filipinos suffered the wrath of Ondoy and countless Japanese people died and exposed to
radiation in a nuclear crisis as a result of a devastating earthquake. What is wealth that you get
out of your greed if you loose your home – that is the earth?

After all, my father was right. I should take every step towards achieving my ambitious dreams.
But my father continued saying “But be just and virtuous in pursuing your dreams. And when you
are already successful, don’t forget to help others who are in need.” And so I should not stop
dreaming beyond my limits for I have to dream for the people around me. I should aspire for
more than what I need because there are others who need me. And I was correct in pursuing the
highest level of education for I need to be greedy with information so that I have something to
share to my younger Filipino brothers.

And after my office hours, I still don’t feel tired. My energy is still starting to shoot up. I am
always excited to attend my evening classes to share the result of my greed for information. And
now it’s my time to tell my students, “Never be contented of who you are. Dream like I have
dreamed of conquering the world. Never dream to be like me, but desire to surpass my
accomplishments.” “Remember what the uncle of Spiderman said that with great power comes
great responsibility”. And I would add “responsibility not only for oneself but for others”