Money, happiness and eternal life - Greed (1/2) | DW Documentary

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Published 2017-01-13
Can money and power ever make us happy? How much is enough? Our constant desire for more is part of our human nature.

But is greed getting the better of us? Find out in GREED - A FATAL DESIRE.

From Buddhists and bankers to Eskimos and psychologists, we explore the phenomenon of greed with people from all walks of life. How can it be defined? What makes us greedy? And what are the repercussions?

People like to have a lot of stuff because it gives them the feeling of living forever," says American social psychologist Sheldon Solomon. He thinks we have to come to terms with our own mortality before we can break the cycle.

Are there other ways to feel happy and content? Can we simply stop being greedy by changing the way we think?

Watch Part 2 here:    • Money, happiness and eternal life - G...  
Watch the extended cut here:    • Money, happiness and eternal life - G...  

Check out our web special:
www.dw.com/en/tv/greed/s-32898
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All Comments (21)
  • @DWDocumentary
    We are proud to announce that this documentary has just won the Best Documentary Golden Sun award at the International Environmental Film Festival (FICMA) in Barcelona - the oldest environmental film festival in the world. Congratulations to the director Jörg Seibold! :)
  • Worked in a funeral home for a year and changed my perspective real quick on life and what really matters. I would pick up super rich people and really poor people and at the end of the day they both get transported in a body bag and end up in a cooler until arrangements are made. Everyone was treated the same. When it’s over it’s over so make the best out of the life you have right now.
  • @therange4033
    When my mum died (5 years after dad) I went to her home to clear things with my family. I could FEEL the emptiness. I realised that all the stuff was uselss without the person living with it!
  • @vel5094
    It's not about having everything, It's just about having enough to make yourself happy and appreciate life.
  • @reyparham4624
    I used to be greedy. I had so many Shoes, clothes, hats, upgrading phones all the time, taking selfies everyday and filtering them for likes and comments, and at one point I had two cars. But at the end I got ill. Very ill that I thought I was going to die, and when I recovered I realized there is more to life than being materialistic. Nowadays, I am fine having 3 pairs of shoes and one car that will take me from point a to point b, happiness for me today is being healthy and having time and good relationship with my family.
  • The world is enough for everyone's need, but never enough for one person´s greed...
  • " Money is numbers and numbers never end. If it takes money to be happy, your search for happiness will never end." -- Bob Marley
  • I like when he said, "We cherish values that are just not possible to attain." How indebted I am to my parents - who from my earliest infancy taught me the real meaning of life. They taught me to be prudent, modest, caring, self-sacrificing and to strive for goodness. They taught me to share with others. During COVID times I have been able to help an elderly black sick woman who lives in Cuba. I have never met her. But when I found out through friends that she was frail and sick, I made it my mission to help her. Have I met her? No! Will I ever? Mostly likely not. But how happy it makes me to be able to help her. My parents taught me to be charitable, to acquire knowledge, to consider others my equal, to be honest and truthful in all things. These are all values which are no longer cultivated by anyone. The world preaches GREED and a constant HOARDING of material goods. I live by simplicity. When I acquire one more thing, I get rid of something else. Minimalism is what I strive for.
  • @DrLA-db8kk
    "A man is richest, when his pleasures are cheapest."
  • @Sameoldfitup
    “Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?”― Tennessee Williams.
  • At the end of the day, you can't take it with you. I'm glad that I spent my day off watching this wonderful program ( thoroughly enjoy listening to Sheldon Solomon).
  • @desserttree
    I’ll never forget this person I met possibly addicted to greed. Would do anything for financial gain. Walked all over people without a care in the world and never paid taxes. The saddest thing was their was zero appreciation or understanding of the arts only an obsession of money and things. Such an empty soul I feel bad for these people.
  • @black5000001
    My teacher said that, the best greed is the greed for knowledge and the worst greed is the greed for money and material. Knowledge lasts forever until the end, while money and materials can deplete anytime.
  • The secret of happiness is not found in seeking more, but in developing a capacity to enjoy less.
  • @mudawatte
    Eye opener, After watching this something changed inside me. Thank you DW and Prof Sheldon Solomon.
  • @divinelady3
    I am so glad I watched this documentary. Now I can stop trying to protect another person's life. And let nature take its course in their own life. 🙏👌
  • @rosariob9426
    "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul in the process?"
  • I looked around one day and realized I had a consumer addiction. I couldn’t retire because I needed the money to buy more and more stuff. Then one day, out of the blue, I wanted to stop. Just stop. So I retired with enough social security and saving to live a modest but fulfilled life. I became-debt free. I started caring for the things I did have. Trust me, I had accumulated so much that I was pretty much set for life. I can I believe that I’m so happy with “less”. I am bountiful in happiness and doing my dream job: training rescue dogs for the elderly.
  • @marylynn259
    This was exactly what I needed to see, to remind myself to be happy with what I already have, even though it's not much, I have what I need and I love what I have.
  • @ryanb9930
    After living for a little while, I have come to learn that happiness is just about perspective. The way we perceive things greatly influences our emotions and how we feel. If we can change our perspective we have the key to obtaining happiness. 😊