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>Greed is a superior motivator because it has no bounds. When someone is obsessed with accumulating wealth, it tends to be a never-ending pursuit. No matter how
by slg 5y ago
>Greed is a superior motivator because it has no bounds. When someone is obsessed with accumulating wealth, it tends to be a never-ending pursuit. No matter how much wealth they accumulate, they're left wanting more. This is in stark contrast to more wholesome values, which tend to be more easily satiated.
I'm not sure why you are stating this like it is a universal fact. Plenty of people reach a level of wealth in which their desire for more is satiated and many people have a need to do good that is never fully satisfied. It all depends on the person.
- fairity 5y ago> It all depends on the person. Agreed. I'm speaking in generalities to make the point that, on average, greed is a superior motivating force. At least from personal experience, I've found far more people foregoing personal health and relationships for the sake of wealth accumulation than societal contribution. Even among those that eventually satiate their desire for wealth, it's mostly because their values have shifted (not because their ultimate value remains wealth accumulation and now they have enough).
- atlgator 5y agoYou just matched one viewpoint with an opposing one. At least the OP's opinion has some empirical evidence in the form of Gates, Jobs, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, and so on. All greedy robber barons of their time that made profound impacts on industry and society while treating their employees like grist for the mill.
- Retric 5y agoGates stopped and started spending his money. If the wealthiest person in the world eventually gives up that suggests greed is bound, it’s simply high enough in many people that they never realize that goal. Further the institution of retirement suggests greed isn’t an unlimited motivator for most people.
- mettamage 5y agoYep, see FIRE and it’s sibling acronyms.
- robocat 5y agoIs Gates actually spending it faster than his equity is rising in value?
- atlgator 5y agoI doubt it, considering he's now the largest private farmland owner in the United States. He's got a LOT of capital and it's growing every second. Now he'll be splitting it with his wife though and I expect we'll hear more stories about his philandering. The guy's a demon. He just uses a PR company now to make himself look humanitarian. He even tried to teach Epstein to do the same to rehabilitate his image. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/apr/05/bill-gates-climate-crisis-farmland https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/apr/05/bill-g... https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/12/business/jeffrey-epstein-bill-gates.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/12/business/jeffrey-epstein-...
- Retric 5y agoFor a decade he did, though not in the past 5 years. However, it’s kind of funny at those levels of wealth if you buy a 30 million dollar painting for example it’s likely worth more in a decade. It’s not exactly difficult to spend a billion dollars, yet to spend several Billion dollars per year without retaining any value is basically just charity, politics, or bad investments.
- mettamage 5y agoSelf determination theory is the opposite. And has a lot of empirical evidence. Also check the overjustification effect to see how extrinsic motivation destroys any motivation. Imo intrinsic > extrinsic Any time any day. Want examples? Look at passionate people. Look at academia. They’re not a handful if people but tons of them that did good work that helped innovation.
- robocat 5y agoAs GP said in your quote “When someone is obsessed…”. Disclaimer: not saying I agree with GP.