Originally Posted by
teatreeoil007 
Interesting! So true about simplicity, though.
I think that in order to keep things simple, one needs to address greed. And in order to address greed, one needs to address contentment. And one will not have peace if one cannot be content. If one is not content, one will more likely be greedy. So, learning to be content with what you have is a key ingredient...but learning also to perhaps "make do" with what you (already) have is helpful. And sometimes we need to tap into our intrinsic resources and look at it in a more creative way to realize we have all we really need.
If you take a look at hoarders and gamblers, which are addicts too, they are never content and it's all about getting more, and more....and more....and more....and it's never enough! That would be my MIL, who is both a hoarder and a gambling addict.
My dad didn't have much in the way of fancy stuff. Many of his things were old and used. He was not well traveled. Nor did he have any high society connections. But I remember he would sit on the porch, drinking a cup of coffee, gaze out at the countryside and calmly say: "I've got everything I need right here." Hmm. I miss that.
very interesting post, I agree that in order to address greed one must first address content however it got me thinking in your next paragraph how very similar greed is to addictions or addictive behaviours..As you say with hoarders and gambling addicts they chase after more and more but never feel that it is enough.. Someone who is greedy also expresses in a similar way an excessive desire for more than is needed whether to do with food, money, possessions etc..
What drives a person to feel the need to have more more more. A sense of inadequacy springs to mind or low self esteem with those who place their value and sense of self worth in material things? I've always kind of felt that those who show off the most are most likely the most insecure as they place so much emphasis on what they have which determines their levels of confidence rather than on who they are as a person..
Still just speculating but as with shopping addicts maybe the accumulation of new things gives them a certain 'high' or dopamine response.. Basically I guess what i'm trying to get at is even in those whose behaviours seem shallow and selfish maybe they too are suffering in similar ways to other addicts however with no means of help as im assuming most don't see it as a problem...
When you have a more obvious addiction you can seek help and treat it and learn to find the underlying causes which you can begin to address..
For others who share similar traits with addiction like needing more and more and more I'm guessing they don't really see it as an issue which needs to be addressed/don't recognize the underlying symptoms such as low self esteem etc...
All speculation haha but your post got me thinking! What do you think? Can even greediness be classified as addictive?
For me at least I've always had quite an addictive personality and have come to learn that you can become addicted to people, to headache pills, to tv series. To anything you do or take excessively that interfers negatively in your life..
Sorry what did you mean by MIL? How do you manage your MIL'S hoarding? I used to watch the programme on tv which really opened my eyes to the distress and emotional depth associated with hoarding and I don't know what the reasons are for hoarding, do they develop attatchments to their things? Does it act as their sort of comfort blanket? Is it similar to obsessive compulsive disorders? It must be very difficult...
When I was in rehab I shared a room with a woman who had quite a severe gambling addiction. She had lost everything willing to put her house and everything she had on the line to fulfill her gambling needs - much the same in a way as me putting my health on the line or any addict which when taken to the max is at risk of losing everything they hold dear..
In that sense all addictions, whatever the outlet is are all quite similar..
Sorry for long post just find this a really interesting subject!