Hello to you,
I hope you don't mind a longer comment.
I think it can be misunderstood if, in the case of the seven deadly sins, the terminology is watered down and framed in such a way that they become helpers without finding their way there at a moderate pace. And to use philosophical or even spiritual aids to do so.
The definitions help to see the difference. Greed, when connoted positively, can be described simply as "wanting to have something", but it is precisely the extreme form of wanting to have. Greed is, so to speak, the contrast to less strong forms of desire, which are then no longer described as greedy, but perhaps as goal-oriented. You can also let a desire go if it is not characterised by greed. How easily one can let go of a desire then describes the degree of maturity of a person. To use a conceptualisation in a field where there is no agreement on a philosophical or religious form of understanding is marked by conflict. Which does not have to be a bad thing per se, because in a conflict lies an opportunity for clarification. But it can also be the case that one person tries to impose his definition on another by all means, and the very attempt of the other to offer a less final view is itself perceived as sinful.
Terms can be as annoying and confrontational as they are helpful and clarifying. I find it helpful to apply the concept of the four-values-square, in which I summarise a feeling that is difficult for me personally in a term and then expand it towards three other sides in order to find a suitable direction of development for me.
An example: I choose tension/stress as a difficulty. The less exaggerated form is the simple "doing", the state of natural tension, such as when running, compared to the natural state of relaxation, such as when sleeping (resting).
By doing this, I have identified what I call a positive quality by cutting back on the exaggeration and looking at what actually corresponds to the exaggerated state in its original form.
So here I have determined the concept of "creative energy". Now I consider the positive sister quality. As already indicated here, this is "resting".
Then I place both next to each other in a horizontal way; with space in between. There is a positive field between creative energy and resting, there is a balance between the two. So if I go down vertically from both terms and recognise the single term in its exaggeration, with the word "creative energy" I see the "restless doing" (the urge to always have to do something, not really being able to rest even when I am already lying in bed, etc.). So I end up with the negative quality of "restlessness" ( compulsive creating). The "evil" sister of the constantly active is then easy to identify. One goes back up to the concept of resting and finds its exaggeration. That would be complete slackness, total listlessness or inertia.
Now we have also identified the negative field of tension: Here restlessness and inertia look at each other.
Everyone knows this, don't they? After a very stressful day full of nervous activity and continuous performance, you collapse in the evening and don't want to see anything more of the world. (This can also last for weeks, months and years, people are tough, sometimes for a whole lifetime until having a heart attack, for example).
I could write a lot more, but leave it at that. I find it remarkable how you have reflected on the reactions in the comments and scrutinised your formulations to the extent that you mention the explosiveness in them. I found it very interesting and welcome the topic as a whole, although on the other hand I think I also recognise the danger of counter-productivity.
Greetings to you.
Hello,
It seems that you write in pictures. I can see the picture. It is a ying yang or something similar to the second law of thermodynamics. The entropy of the universe is decreasing. If there is a negative on one side there is a positive on the other.
Basically I get it, but there is a lot I am unsure of. I overstated my self in this post and the word "greed" is still too heavy a word when it crosses some people's minds. An excessive desire for more beyond what you need. By that definition some greed can be seen in almost all human beings.
That's right, I had a picture in my head. Like this:
Now you could also design this graphic as a circle and give it dimensions by putting several layers on top of each other and thinking connections, like by means of a spiral. All the way to the shape of a donut. From this, you can see the complexity of properties and their carriers. Yes, it is similar to the Yin Yang concept, but with added dimension. Whether it represents entropy on the wane, I don't know. In this article I have presented the method of the four-value square.
I agree. "Greed" is a finalised term in understanding. The final is contained in the word "de-finition". If one is too quick to give the term "greed" a positive connotation, it can be understood as a provocation. To go the long way of understanding and relativising, it seems necessary to make use of philosophical or spiritual aids (sources) to take the readers along. The recipient of the statement can only agree when he or she goes along this path. Where he feels early resistance, he will not be able to see anything positive in the interpretation.
Hahaha... Thank you so much for the explanation. This is so true. The virtue of trusting others intertwined with dependacy and self trust with self exaltation. The connections are drawn out well. I have seen examples in life. It takes one to know the other. Perhaps that's why Genesis calls it the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We know one and the recognize the other even more clearly.
I enjoyed the diagram and usually learn better with pictures. That's how I got through molecular biology and immunology. I memorized the pictures. I didn't learn much compared to genetics or p-chem but such beautiful pictures.
I am happy to have been of service to you :) I welcome it also to be given pictures on top of descriptions.