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If you are still calling them greedy, then the problem lies within you. If you don’t like the amount of possessions or wealth someone has, then perhaps you are envious. If that’s the case, then you calling a person greedy is all about you projecting your envy. For most people to acquire great wealth, they have to come up with a good idea, an innovation, or as Ralph Waldo Emerson observed, build a better mousetrap that will cause the world to beat a path to their door. In other words, they have to serve humanity. They have to create something people want. Just because you’ve earned more than you need, you don’t stop doing what you did to make it. The world would be a much poorer place if you did. What if Bill Gates had stopped making computer software after he made his first billion? Sure, someone else would eventually enter the market, but until then the price of software would go up. Over the years, I’ve seen various products I loved disappear from the market. The most likely cause was there was not enough demand for those products for the companies to continue making them; occasionally it was because the producer got “tired” of working and retired. Hmm . . . perhaps I should say that person was greedy for wanting their time more than they wanted to produce things I love. Maybe you think acquiring ostentatious homes, cars, and clothing make a person greedy. You might snidely call them nouveau riche. Indeed their taste might be tacky, but if you have any empathy, you can see they are just trying to feel important. Everybody wants to feel important, and it isn’t greed. Feel sorry for them, it takes time to learn how to enjoy enormous wealth with grace. What about corporate greed, you ask? Again, no such thing. First of all, corporations, like other inanimate objects, cannot feel greed. They are owned by people called stockholders. Are the stockholders greedy for wanting to invest in a growing company? You’d think they were idiots if they invested in a failing company. So then, is it the people running the company who are greedy because they earn huge salaries? They only get those salaries if they are producing wealth for the stock- holders. So once again, it is earned wealth, they haven’t stolen it. What about corporations that bribe Congress to pass regulations to keep out competition? Aren’t they greedy? No, they are thieves. By using the strong arm of the government to get an unfair advantage over competitors, they reduce options and choices which cost consumers more money. And, regardless of how legal it is, it is still morally theft. But what about companies that produce shoddy - even dangerous - products just to make a buck? Aren’t they being greedy? Again, no. If it is a hidden danger, then they are being dishonest and stealing from the purchaser. If it is known to be inferior, then it is the consumer’s decision whether or not to buy it. People willingly buy substandard products to fulfill needs until they can afford something better. When I was in college, I lived in a mouse- and roach-infested apartment in a seedy neighborhood. Was I being exploited by a greedy landlord? No, the rent was cheap, and I was thrilled to get it because it enabled me to live on my own. There is an old saying in the advertising industry, “Nothing kills a bad product faster than good advertising.” Good advertising will get a lot of people to try a new product, and if the product doesn’t measure up, then word-of-mouth will spread quickly and people will stop buying it. Greedy companies don’t want that to happen, so they make good products instead. Surely hoarders are greedy? They squirrel away much more than they need. Do they? Perhaps they were a victim of scarcity at some point in their life and they have a deep fear of going hungry again. Fear is not greed. If you hear someone using the word “greed” to describe another person, I sug- gest you scrutinize the person using it, and ascertain what their motivation is. Politicians love to use it to create division among voters because it helps them get elected. The word “greed” is a red flag to think critically. Calling someone greedy is often used to shame people into donating money they’d rather keep. I remember back in 1997, Ted Turner, after announcing he would donate $1 billion over the course of a decade to the United Nations, publicly shamed Bill Gates for not donating more money to charity. It worked, and Gates formed a foundation for donating billions of dollars to various causes. If someone pressures you to share your money by calling you greedy, then they are asking you to give up the precious moments of your life you spent earning it - time you can never get back. If they bamboozle you into feeling bad, so you give them money you don’t want to, then what makes them different from a con artist? Who’s the greedy one now? Greed only exists in the mind of the observer. If you are seeing greed, perhaps it’s time for you to examine your heart. Robert Robert is an innovation/change speaker, author, and consultant. He works with companies that want to be more competitive through innovation and with people who want to think more creatively. For more information on Rob, visit www.RobWilsonSpeaker.com or contact him via e-mail to michele@worldwidedrillingresource.com Wilson cont’d from page 12. WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Atlantis Vault Atlantis Vault For more information call: (270) 786-3010 or visit us online: www.geothermalsupply.com • Self-Contained • Simple installation • Trouble-free operation 52 NOVEMBER 2019