Monday, September 22, 1997
Greed -- A Four-Letter
Word
(And the Virtues of Contentment)
by Mike Williams
([email protected])
Greed always has been, and probably always will be, a strong motivating factor in our world. I think it was John D. Rockefeller, at one time the richest man in the world, who said, "Just a little more... just a little more," when asked how much money it would take to make him happy. So it is with much of the human race.
Please allow me, if I may, to offer a contrarian view. Contentment is a much better contributor to our happiness and well-being than greed. All of the world’s scam artists and rip-off specialists would be out of work tomorrow if we could somehow banish all avarice. At the heart of every scam is greed -- on the part of the perpetrator and, more importantly to the success of the venture, the duped.
I invest in the stock market because it is the best way to make the most of one’s investments. I read the Motley Fool almost every day and really enjoy it. It's a wonderful source of humor and (I believe) good investment advice. I enjoy the research and intellectual pursuit of stock selection more than anything. (Okay, I’ll admit I don’t have completely pristine motives -- I love to see those dollars stack up, too.) In many ways, it's a sad day when I finally purchase the stocks I have chosen because the “pursuit” is over and it's time to sit back and see whether or not my research was correct.
One of the reasons I like the Motley Fool so much is because it tries to teach that life is about more than just investing. Hence the constant admonitions to get away from the computer and investment magazines and live a little! But like most of the world, it seems that many readers and contributors to the Motley Fool are motivated to a large degree by the desire to accumulate huge amounts of wealth. That is to be expected: who would want to read a financial website run by people who want to throw money away? Not many, I’m sure!
Contentment, though, is also a wonderful asset to one's spiritual and mental well-being. It says, “Yes, it would be nice to make a lot of money in the markets, but if I never raise my standard of living I can be perfectly happy right where I am now.”
That’s exactly where I find myself today. I have a wife who is devoted to me (and I to her) and three wonderful teenage boys who love their parents, adore each other, and have never given my wife or me one moment of heartache or pain. For that alone I suspect some people would be willing to pay a small fortune! We enjoy good health, and to top it off, I don’t want to retire early and live in the Caribbean. In fact, I love what I do so much that I don’t ever plan to retire.
I will continue to invest in the stock market; I will continue to read the Motley Fool almost every day; and I will continue to enjoy life on a day-to-day basis. Hopefully, without much greed. It really is a wonderful life!