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[[Image:Avarice - Jacob Matham.jpg|thumb|right|120px|A personification of greed.]]
'''Greed''' is a desire to acquire or horde [[wealth]], possessions, or power beyond normal reason. A drive to acquire possessions and status, to a certain degree, is a part of [[human]] nature. Greed is when this desire becomes unduly strong and takes precedence over [[moral]] considerations such as concern for others. Various disciplines such as [[ethics]] or religious studies weigh the destructive aspects of greed.
In [[Christian]] tradition, greed (often called ''avarice'' in this context) is considered to be one of the [[Seven Deadly Sins]]. When taken to mean an excessive desire for money, greed is specifically condemned by [[St Paul]] in the [[Bible]]: ''"Love of money is the root of all kinds of evil"'' ({{Bibleref|1Timothy|6|verses=10}}).
Famous examples of greed include the mythical [[King Midas]], who foolishly wished that everything he touched would turn to gold, and the bankers whose pursuit of short-term profit led to the financial crisis of 2008 in [[Europe]] and the [[US]].
[[Capitalism]] has been criticized for encouraging greediness. However, it has been argued that greediness is not inherent to capitalism, and only the sinful and selfish utilize the capitalist system to feed their greed.<ref>Andersen, Kerbey. "Bible, Economics and Capitalism." Probe Ministries. http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4218179/k.30EF/Bible_Economics_and_Capitalism.htm</ref>
== See also ==
*[[Seven Deadly Sins]]
*[[Charity]]
{{DivineComedy}}
[[Category:Sin]]
[[Category:Sociology]]
==References==
{{reflist}}