Something not
needed
Greed is when I
want something that I do not really need. I want it just to possess it. So what is
the value of that? A common reason is to be able to boast and show off to others, hence
increasing my sense of identity (my sense of control is also enhanced because I have it and they
do not).
Something for
nothing
Greed is also a
form of hope where the expected reward is typically
far in excess of the time
and cost expected to be invested. It is very commonly leveraged in many kinds of persuasion.
Just look at the use of the word 'free' in advertising. Look at the stimulation of greed in many
forms of selling, get-rich-quick schemes and gambling.
It typically involves
making the other person believe that they are getting an incredible bargain
(often without your apparent knowledge). Of course, they don't get what they had hoped for,
but they will do a great deal for you if they think you can give them something for virtually
nothing.
So what?
Stimulate greed
by dangling something desirable just out of reach perhaps letting the other
person get a taste of it from time to time. Show how other people might just get it instead of
them. Then when they are desperate for it, use getting it as a condition for you getting what you
really want.
Be aware of what
greed feels like in yourself. If you let it get the better of you, you are likely to
end up paying what you can't afford for what you really don't need.
Gambling dens
As a very real
example of managed hope in action, look no further than the nearest casino or
gambling parlor. Casinos dangle large sums and glittering prizes whilst making the hoping as
pleasant as possible with salubrious surroundings, free drinks, attractive members of the
opposite sex and so on.
The gamblers are
trapped in a cocoon of warmth as their money is steadily leeched away from
them (note how the reality of money itself is hidden behind tokens and credit, preventing the
unreality bubble from being burst).
