Recently, I have been reading quite a bit on pyramid schemes, ponzis and internet scams that no matter how silly the model looks, there are bound to be people who bites the bait.

I tried to find out why these people do not see the logic behind these illegal schemes.

• Is it because of the motivational talks that these schemes organized to the unwary attendees?
• Is it because of the bright future promised by these schemes?
• Is it because these schemes tells you that it’s the opportunities that comes once in a lifetime?
• Is it because it symbolizes success and a glamourous lifestyle?
• Is it because of the material realizations that it can deliver in the shortest time?

However, there are also people who are not influenced by the aforementioned factors.

They continue to perform their daily routines. They still go to work and receive their monthly pay checks. Why are these people not joining the scheme when they know it’s going to make them rich, and they can fire their current boss, or they can retire young?

I believe the reason for their decision to stay out of such schemes is pretty simple- they simply have no greed. When you do not have greed added into your decision making process, you often can evaluate the soundness of the investment in a more objective manner. You will start looking into the logic of the business model, how it will benefit you and most importantly, how it will benefit the people around you.

However, if you add the greed element into the process, your ability to make a wise decision is immediately clouded by the thoughts of selfishness. Your only objective is to see how it will benefit you, regardless of how unsound the business model might seem. Since you will need the help of others to make you successful, you will find ways, even illegal ones to help you achieve your objectives. Without understanding how it will affect others financial situations, you will begin to justify the system and eventually start promoting it.

For those who did not have greed, does that mean they are not going to get rich? Of course not! They just don’t put their money down on such “business models” if you can even start calling them one. After evaluating it properly and ethically, they will prefer to run their own business that provides actual values to the consumers, invest in stocks and mutual funds, invest in properties or simply invest in themselves by furthering their education.

The direct opposing value to greed is ambitious. Entrepreneurs are ambitious. So are business owners. An ambitious country is a prosperous one, while a greedy country is a corrupted one. Being ambitious allow us to constantly improve ourselves and moving towards our potential, whereas being greedy sidetrack us from our potential by disillusioning us with shortcuts and employing unethical tactics.

In the personal financial world, if we can get rid of greed, and still accumulate wealth, it means that we have realized our ambition to be financial freedom. In this case, money is not the root of all evil.

If we accumulated wealth by employing tactics that takes advantage of others for our own benefits, money is still NOT the root of all evil.

It is our very own greed that corrupts us.

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