Giving Thought: Agree or Disagree?

I had a friend say the following to me the other day:

"Giving is the only proof that you've conquered greed."

I've been thinking about this a lot since then and wanted to get your perspectives on it. True? False? Why do you think so?

Comments

[www.onechancetolive.com]

I agree. I find myself often saying "Next year when I get my raise I will have extra money to give away." Only when next year comes, I tend to repeat myself and postpone it further. I thinking giving is essential for a couple of reasons
1) It helps others out
2) It reminds that money has no power over me
3) Im always going to want more money so I have no excuse to not give now.

[Bettsi]

A "giver" may just be greedy to look good. Greed can encompass a lot more than material goods. Also, not everyone struggles with greed. I believe that like the opposite of love, the opposite of greed might be indifference. If you can master your greedy impulses to the point of being indifferent to temptation, then you have truly conquered your greed.

[DC Smith]

If everyone you know is aware of how much you give, then no (the person that accepted the check and your Uncle Sam excepted).

If you handed it over on a stage in the form of a giant novelty check, then no.

If you are in a heated competition with the other CEOs to see who can climb to the top of the United Way thermometer, then no.

If few people have any idea if/how much you give, and you make every effort to keep it that way (short of stuffing sacks of cash through mail slots in the middle of the night) then yeah, it probably is a fair indicator you're on the right track.

In other words, if you got your reward when you gave it, then no it does not mean you have overcome greed.

[David]

The ONLY proof? That's a pretty simplistic view of things. Some people are just not in a position to give. That doesn't mean they are greedy. They are simply trying to survive. There are all sorts of situations and they can't all be summed up so simply. I would say if you are well off and you have no problem giving 10 percent or more, then that's probably a sign you aren't greedy. Good for you. Someone making $20,000 and struggling to pay the bills who doesn't give...are they greedy? I wouldn't say that can be so easily determined.

[Jim]

Giving is in general a good indicator of generosity which is counter to greediness. So giving is a good indicator of lack of greed. But saying its the only proof is too simplistic. Poor people can't give much, some people give for the wrong reasons, etc.

Who do we need to prove a lack of greed to anyway and why do we need to prove it?

Jim

[JC]

It depends on how much you give; and to who.

If the multimillionaire gives $1000.00 to a charity, that doesn't prove much. If a paycheck to paycheck family does so, then it speaks much more. What matters is the amount of sacrifice involved.

Also, WHO you give to means a lot too. If you're giving gifts to your family or friends, that doesn't prove that you've overcome greed (there may be some sense of obligation there in the case of the grown child in need, or you could be simply flashing your wealth before your friends, etc.) But if you're giving to a worthy cause and you're giving without strings attached, then that might be a better indicator of overcoming greed.

My 2 cents,

JC

[Patrick]

Giving is a wonderful feeling. It has nothing to do with Greed or the lack thereof. I am no millionaire, but empathy is part of human-and animal-nature. If you don't feel the pain when reading, or hearing, about the suffering in the world, then just join the Dickheads like Alec Baldwin and others that feel suffering was something that these poor people invited upon themselves.

I sold a house a few years ago, invested wisely, or luckily, and have finally been admitted to the higher tax bracket club. A friend was dying of cancer and before his death I promised to pay his daughter's college tuition. She does't want anything to do with me, perhaps because I am able to do this, but I sneak money to her mother, just ask her not to tell anyone.

If scholarship funds were awarded to elementary students, while they still had hope, we could raise the bar in education and get people out of lives of crime and poverty. Five or seven thousand dollars to a seventh or eighth grader would seem like a fortune, he or she would work harder in school to make sure that money was used. We may have one less criminal for it, but more importantly is one more productive maber of society.

[Marie]

Possibly conquered a portion of greed. I'm still greedy but between our tithe and donations we give about 12% of our gross income.

[Cindy]

I dunno. I guess it's possible that not giving may be simple thoughtlessness, rather than outright greed. I don't know how anybody could just forget to give, but I guess it's possible. Maybe giving could also be a good sign that you've conquered fear as well? Are greed and fear related? Golly. Now I'm going to be up all night thinking deep thoughts. Thanks! ;-)

[Nation]

1. all motivation is self motivation
2. all motivation falls into one of two categories:
- greed
- fear

This is from The E-Myth Manager ... now I don't like those terms, so here are some definitions that are more appropriate:
- greed - what I want to have happen, create, or simply have
- fear - what I want to prevent, or stop

With that in mind ... the reason you give is either to stop something, or the cause something. neither reason is bad *always* and really greed is not either.

[Compounding]

People are self-interested. If you "give," then it is because you receive some benefit from that giving. In other words, being selfless is selfish. No big deal. I give to my church because I enjoy being there, and it makes me feel good to do it. I give to my university because I am happy helping certain goals to be accomplished.

However, I have really started to struggle with charity. It pains me greatly to see people giving things to people. It doesn't matter if it is food, clothing, etc... it just bothers me. These people are no better off by being given these things. They would be far better off being taught how to meet their own needs; that is truly productive and heart-felt.

[Sara]

Disagree. Some people give to assuage their greed; in essence, they give *because* of their greed. Others may have conquered greed and live very simply, but don't include giving as part of their lifestyle. Great question--made me think about both intention and appearance.

[Meg]

Giving isn't "proof" of anything. Some greedy people give, and some non-greedy people don't give.

Some people almost consider it immoral to earn or have a lot of money. They think of money as evil and generally are very low earners who give what they do have haphazardly. That may demonstrate a lack of greed, but it doesn't necessarily make them well-intentioned, pure of heart, or selfless.

Others choose to "greedily" work hard and stockpile money and start businesses, but many of them do so to secure ndependence and opportunity for their familu members and give back generously to their communities as well.

Most people don't reach the "giving" stage until later in life when they've accumulated a lot of money, but does that mean that they were greedy for the first 50 years and overnight they overcame greed the day they set up a charitable giving trust or wrote a check to donate a building to a school?

[DowChic]

False - You know you've conquered greed when you are not plagued by it, do not think about it, nor seek it. Giving is not the sole determinant, but it does show through action the condition of the heart when done consistently. :)

[yipeng]

What about "Giving is the only proof that you've conquered the love of money?"

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil...

[fathersez]

Another way may be to say that we can only give what is ours. So if we cannot give, we don't own the money...maybe the money owns us.

But if we can give, well, we do own the money.

Cheers