Amanda, thank you also… I have not suggested that greed is a word describing us providing for our own needs… Moreover, that when we are healthily selfish it can move us away from greed.

Your contributions are both warmly received.

Best wishes, A.

The company I work for provides resources for addicts. For years, our company founder, Dr. Patrick Carnes, has been saying that addiction often stems from childhood trauma or neglect. In other words, certain needs, such as the need for safety, love or acceptance, were not met early on. The result is that the brain wires itself to crave that which is lacking. And the addict will find a way to satisfy that craving, whether it’s through drugs, alcohol, sex or some other means. He talks about this concept in several of his books, including Out of the Shadows, Facing the Shadow and Contrary to Love.

I don’t think greed is necessarily the right word for providing for your own basic needs, but when it becomes a craving, the word “greed” is certainly synonomous. But through hypnosis and meditation – and sometimes professional help, people can become whole again and not have a need for the greed that leads to so many problems.

Amanda Larson
Gentle Path Press
http://www.gentlepath.com

So greed has a lot of religious baggage attached, but if you really go back, it was old, outdated Augustinian theology that filtered down to today’s prudish social mores. Augustine was all about denying pleasure (as a total overcompensation for his own internalized guilt at being such a hedonistic jerk for most of his life), and unfortunately the church adopted his teachings hook, line, and sinker. And so self-flagellation (both literal and metaphorical) became celebrated in religion and in society, while things that feel good – including a healthy taking care of oneself – were looked down upon.