Navigating the Seasonal Greed Jungle

One of the seven deadly sins, greed is something that our modern-day materialist society is deeply saturated with, especially so during this part of the year – the holiday season. This is the time for giving, but also the time when many cast their eyes toward that new television set or pompous coat they have been craving. It is too easy to become swept away with the hysteria of Christmas shopping and seasonal sales and forget the true essence of any such holiday: the family. Following are some of the many detrimental effects of greed, together with ways you can counter them and not get afflicted:

Evil circle of misery

Didn’t get what you expected for Christmas? Constantly feel unhappy with what you have and never get enough of new things? It would appear that you are stuck in a down-spiraling, materialistic loop. The void that you so desperately are attempting to fill will never go away if you just keep throwing in garbage. It is part of human nature, it is detrimental to your psychological well-being, and it has a rather simple solution: make someone else happy instead. To realize how much of an impact this could really have, do a good deed for someone directly; feed a homeless man, buy toys for puppies at the local shelter, bring a present for a child you know to have a rough life. The sheer joy of being gifted with something so simple will give you a different perspective on life and raise your mood, as well.

People consumed by greed often seek to control their loved ones, forgetting about the needs of everyone but themselves. Somehow money gains more importance than family ties, and before you know it, your relationships start to falter. What may have started out as an innocent quest for the best gifts for your loved ones suddenly turns into an issue of money. Perhaps you even start to blame your spouse for spending too much, forgetting that what sparked this is you, searching for a present for said spouse to begin with! This Christmas, explore the possibility of giving handcrafted and personal things over expensive stuff. Discuss it with your family and make it into an activity that you can all engage in. It doesn’t have to replaceother items from everyone’s wish lists, but when time comes, you will realize that the gifts you spent time making may mean so much more than everything else, combined.

Emptiness

Greedy people are, essentially, hollow inside. The longer one spends his life living with greed, the emptier one becomes. It can induce a complete lack of excitement, of love, of compassion – similar to a drug addiction; greed will push you into a bland state of idleness with no possibilities for spiritual satisfaction. Find something else to focus on to get out of this black hole: donate money to charity, invest in a global aid project. The wealthiest people are all philanthropists – not by chance, but by choice. You spend all your time grinding away at work, but for what? Aim your efforts to helping others; see it as an investment in leaving your footprint on the world if you have to, but do something. Heal the world, heal yourself.

– Natalia Isaeva 

Sources: Psychology Today, Washington State University, APA, Thom Hartmann
Photo: Josic