It is one of the, if not the, most powerful forces on the planet. It manifests itself in all aspects of life, in all people living. It's a deadly sin, yet it cannot be stopped. So how would one outline and define such a powerful force? It's not as easy as reading it in a book. The Merriam-Webster online-dictionary defines greed as "a selfish and excessive desire to have more of something than is actually needed." This definition is hard to argue with, as it is plain and simple, giving the core of the word. However to millions, perhaps billions of people, greed is something else, something more. Some people depict greed as being a quality of the evil, self-seeking, and corrupt. Though these viewpoints may be partially accurate, greed cannot be denounced as solely being an escapee from the Devil's dungeon. Let's agree that greed is pursuing something guided by rational self-interest. This means that one must be reasonably minded to know their own actions, and that anything besides food and water attained at the cost of anyone else, no matter how little they are affected, can be defined as greed.
Now first of all, is greed, a bad thing? To define something that impacts and affects every single person on Earth, one must decide if such a powerful energy is inherently good or bad. Greed is a powerhouse of the world's wellbeing, and all attempts in history to eradicate greed from humanity have ended up as catastrophes. Almost all the inventions and innovations of today and days past are the product of greedy people. Most jobs and societies are produced because of greed since it is a motivator and persuader and pushes people to try and achieve their best. Greed is what inspires the consumer to purchase the best product at the cheapest price, thus creating market forces that help in eliminating inefficiency and waste. Greed is an asset to humanity, a tool that some are able to embrace and prosper by better than others.