Brian Tracy defines greed as a universal human characteristic—an instinctive desire for more—and illustrates it with a salary example. He distinguishes positive greed (seeking more resources to serve others, self-improvement, hard work) from negative greed (seeking rewards without contribution), giving examples like Mother Teresa and Albert Schweitzer to show greed’s constructive form.
Lets continue our talk about human nature. When people say, well, that's just human nature, what does that mean? Well, I've studied this subject in psychology and metaphysics and economics for something like 30 years. And what I have found is that every single person has certain characteristics that are the same. In every culture, in every race, every ethnic background, they're all the same. And one of them I want to talk to you now about is called greed. So here's an example. Imagine that I could offer you two different salaries for performing the same job. $10,000 per year or $100,000 per year. Which one would you choose? Well, if you're normal, you'll be just like everyone else. Everyone chooses the higher amount over the lower amount. This is normal and natural. Mentally, no one will choose less when they could have more. The instinctive desire for more is hardwired into the human brain. No education or training is necessary. What this means is that everyone by nature is greedy. Just like laziness, greed is neither good nor bad by itself. It's only the way that one manifests their natural greed that makes it viewed in a positive or negative light. Greed in a positive way was the motivating force behind the work of Mother Teresa of Calcutta with her Missionaries of Charity. And the reason Dr. Albert Schweitzer of Africa constantly sought more resources to help more African natives as a medical missionary. Both of these great humanitarians were greedy because they wanted more of the things they considered to be most important. Now, a person who is greedy in a positive way is one who is working longer and harder and continually upgrading his or her skills. In this sense, greed is positive and healthy. In this sense, greed leads to success, achievement, esteem and respect. And the more you want more of those and are willing to work for them, the more successful you're going to be. Now, the dark side of greed is different. This side of greed is what most people are familiar with. It consists of people striving to get rewards without working, riches without contribution, recognition without achievement and power without service. Whenever someone attempts to get something for nothing in any area, they are manifesting the kind of greed that is harmful to the victim and ultimately destructive to the practitioner. But there's nothing wrong with greed in and of itself. It's only the way that you manifest greed that makes it bad or good for you and others. In my next session, I'll talk to you about the next characteristic of human nature that everybody has.
