Wen Tzu - Verse 80, Part IV

from Verse Eighty
To take advantage of others' land and desire others' wealth is called greed.
~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

More often than not, whether referring to countries, groups or individuals, greed is what motivates most fights. Throughout human history, nations have coveted what others have and, instead of working out equitable agreements, it's far easier simply to take what you want!! In a nutshell, this is the definition of imperialism.

While this strategy has been employed by countless countries and states for eons, we see it at work routinely in our everyday lives. People lie, connive, cheat and slander to get their hands on what other people possess.

Of course, the concept of possession or personal property is entirely a human construct. If nature operated under this same principle, human life wouldn't be possible. The sky would claim all the air, the clouds would claim all the rain and the planet would claim all the ground. We wouldn't be left with anything!

This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.