Why do we do what we know is wrong?

We do things we know are wrong because of our Strong Desire and Greed to do it. Let me

get you clear here what actually greed is. Greed has a strong biological basis. However, it has even

stronger social basis. The definition of greed is an extreme or excessive desire for resources,

especially for property such as money, real estate, or other symbols of wealth, and greed could be

for anything even to fulfill our personal desire: for more love, luxuries, and success. Greed brings

out the worst in people and make them even do what’s wrong without even think about the outcome

once, and even can destroy one’s lives. As history has shown, it was greed that made Crusaders

pillage Jerusalem, killing unarmed people for the chance for fame and glory. As likely, in David

Grann’s book: The Killers of the Flower Moon, we have an example of wealthy Red-Indians of

Osage back in nineteenth century, who were losing their lives back and forth, because they were

filthy rich and other nation were keeping an eye on their money and that land, which was the

mainly the reason of them being rich. In chapter three, “Kings of the Osage Hills,” when Anna

(Mollie’s sister, and one of the member of Osage family) has been shot, Grann says, “Was it just

a coincidence that both victims (Annie and other Osage man) had been wealthy Osage Indians, in

their thirties” (27). This statement is clearly being telling us, how greed can make somebody

corrupt and make them do horrible things to nice people. Greed has led to the death of not only

family, but the whole tribe and encourages people to do what is wrong.

Depending on the action itself and the subsequent consequences, greed is a part of every

human being, even it is hidden somewhere in you and in myself as well, and I am agreeing it. A

real example of my personal life––I have everything to fulfill my basic needs: enough food, good

clothes and a reasonable home to live in, but I always still in a search of how I could get more
money to convert my basic needs into luxuries. I go to malls and do unnecessary shopping just

because of that greed in my mind that I like that dress and it is more beautiful than I have in my

closet, and in result I start getting myself in debt, and I knew it before what’s going to happen in

result because of my unnecessary shopping, but I did––human nature of greed. I could’ve just

stopped myself when I knew the consequences, but I ignored it and listened to my greed of desire,

and which led me to do what was wrong for me. I found it lack maturity in me who let greed over

what was right for me. If I’d have matured enough to take full responsibility of my behavior and

action, I wouldn’t have gotten myself in debt.

Geed to fulfill your desire is very powerful––it is a fuel for our ACTIONS. When we are so

deeply submerged by our greed/desire we don't care, and think less about the consequences, and

would still do even knowing that this is wrong. As we know taking bribe is one of the most

common wrong thing everyone is doing when he gets the chance, with even knowing that this is

wrong, but it’s his greed of more money and luxuries make him to take bribe and the one who

gives it has no other option. In chapter seven, “This Things of Darkness,” we see that how the top

state investigator of Oklahoma, Herman Fox Davis, who was asked to come Osage to investigate

and solve the growing numbers of murders, was ended up having life sentence, just because of his

greed. Despite of being such a top investigator of the state, he was caught to take bribe and then

pleaded guilty to bribery and received a two-year sentence, but a few months later was pardoned

by a governor. Greed has some sort of power that, when it sticks to someone, it doesn’t go away

unless you die. This is what happened to Davis. Grann says, “Davis and several conspirators

proceeded to rob and murder––a prominent attorney; this time Davis received a life sentence”

(102). This issue comes when greed will cause you to overstep boundaries whether it be moral or

risk wise. We have now another example of how greed has made a good person into bad and made
him do corruption. Greed, in certain aspects, can allow for a higher drive to succeed but can also

lead to unnecessary risk and can hurt you over the long term. To conquer with this sort of behavior,

do the work to strengthen the mental behavioral feedback so that a habit is formed.

There is no doubt that our desires/greed make us to adopt such behaviors or habits which

we know is wrong for ourselves and for our health, yet we do it for our personal relief. Greed is

neither too bad nor too good–– it just depends on how you look at it. Greed for money is something

each one of us have, but to take it in a good way, which is something human nature would decide.

If there is a little evil in ourselves then we’ll do anything to get money, and will start it with a small

crime and then ended up with murdering someone. But, if we once deny what our inner evil wants

us to do, by controlling our desires with a right boundary, we’ll conquer with it, and will do hard

work to get enough money and to be succeeded. Because, greed can be a huge motivator. Also,

the most reliable way to conquer greed is to not let it grow, by feeling gratitude with every little

thing we have, or just to keep telling that if I take a wrong turn to fulfill my greed, the consequences

will harm me for a long time or maybe lifetime.