Greed :: essays research papers

For more than fifteen years psychologist Julian Edney has visited college campuses across the nation to study the effects of greed in a society where over $100 billion in new wealth accumulates each year. On each of his stays, he would play a game with haphazardly selected students where 10 metal nuts in a bowl represented bare(a) credit. The students would then take the nuts for a single extra credit point. In this, he promised to double the amount of nuts left in the bowl every 10 back ups. Hypothetic each(prenominal)y, the game could last forever docile limitless rewards as the students took turns taking a nut from the bowl. However Dr. Edney determined that 65 percent of the groups couldnt get pass the first 10 second round, and the others could only make it a few more cycles until modest students turned into rambunctious maniacs scrounging for that last nut. Edneys conclusion Greed trumps trust. (U.S. News Magazine, 6/17/96 Special) Small towns and neighborhoods in America u sed to be cohesive, political scientist Bruce Frohnen pronounced in the May 1999 issue of Family Policy. They did not seek openness to all ways of life. Nor did they seek economic betterment as the sole proper goal, he added. Faith and tradition were ruling forces in the lives of Americans, bidding them care for their families and neighbors and their souls, as much as their pocketbooks. But as the material girls and boys grew, so did the need for greed. In a recent study by Roper Starch Worldwide, the set of teenagers moving into the new millennium have drastically changed from their parents visions. The percentage who said they wanted to earn a lot of money grew 25 points from the 38 percent in 1975. Those who said they needed a microwave oven as a necessity rose 19 points, and the percentage that believed life without an reply machine was incomprehensible grew more than 18 points. At the same time, teenagers who believed developing a meaningful philosophy of life dropped by 42 p ercent. However the skip over of moneys power in student-age adults coincided with a reward system for the newly transpired talents. Repetitive tasks are being replaced by super technology enchantment responsibilities requiring intelligence and skill are more emphasized. It is a winner take all society though, where the lopsided share of benefits go to very few players. The pageantry is not all coming from the upcoming generation though.