The Richest Man Who Ever Lived Ch 13

Study Notes

Greed is a deep longing for something that drives a person to be willing to do whatever it takes to acquire it.
Greed is not defined by what a person wants, but by how badly they want it.
It can manifest in any area of life - power, recognition, love, sexual fulfillment, leisure, or hobbies.
Socially, it is most visible in the pursuit of wealth.

It can steal your life away; both figuratively and literally. It can lead to feelings of emptiness, lack of purpose, unhappiness, and conflict.
It can lead to financial insecurity, as those who try to hurriedly get rich often end up in poverty.
It can negatively impact those you love; what you do affects everyone around you. You may neglect your family while pursuing your career.
It can bankrupt you spiritually, as you may acquire everything you desire but still find yourself lacking happiness, fulfillment, and security.
It can steal your happiness and reason for living; the more you focus on what you lack, the less joy you experience.
It can steal your integrity; greed is impatient, fuels an instant gratification mindset, and can lead people to engage in unethical, immoral, or illegal activities.
It creates a false sense of security; the more money one makes, the more likely they are to become arrogant.

Coveting: a strong, persistent, and focused desire or craving for something you don't have. Acquiring it becomes a higher priority than other things in your life.
More, More, More: you always want more and never feel truly content or joyful despite achieving goals and acquiring things.
Hurry, Hurry: you can't get what you want fast enough. You look for shortcuts and take on debt to obtain things before you can afford them.
Closing Your Eyes to Compromise: you are willing to compromise your values or integrity to get what you want quickly.
More Turbulence: you experience more conflict, adversity, and problems in your life in general.

Generosity is the vaccine and antidote to greed.
Give generously to others in need.
Focus on giving your time, kindness, words of encouragement, labor, and money.
Stop chasing riches. Let your thoughts focus on achievement and meeting the genuine needs of others.

Solomon's wisdom can help you achieve success without falling prey to greed.
He encourages you to focus on achievement, not money.
Apply diligence to your work and use your labor to achieve financial success.
Do not try to get rich quickly. You are more likely to succeed by focusing on your labor and applying Solomon's wisdom to saving and investing.

Identify the warning signs of greed in your life.
Analyze where you might have a problem with greed in your job, investments, relationships, pursuits, or hobbies.
List steps you can take to turn away from greed.
Determine if you use credit cards to buy non-necessities before you can afford them.
Develop a plan to stop buying non-necessities before you can afford them.