this post was submitted on 17 Jan 2026
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greed and selfishness are natural impulses, sure, which is why we probably shouldn't structure society top-to-bottom to reward those impulses like we're doing right fucking now
they very much are not. Hundreds of years of anthropology, sociology, and history show that in pre- and non-capitalistic societies, the impulse to screw people over is way more rare, and even if it exists, it is controlled and discouraged, instead of rewarded. Cooperation has a much longer history and has lead to longer periods of stability and abundance.
Thinking that everyone is greedy and selfish all the time is nothing but european colonial brainworms and capitalist realism.
It's worth calling the concept of greed and its capitalist conceptualisation into question as well.
We all want better things, better food, better sex, better looks, better means to self actualization. This is natural, we all want to improve things for ourselves and, if we're decent, for others as well, if for nothing else than the social capital it affords us, at its basest. The question is "what are we willing to do to get them?"
Are we willing to exploit others to get them? Kill? Self-harm? If greed had a consistent definition, I'd say that that is it, and that is the foundation of capitalism.
To be honest, you're both right. It is a natural impulse to be greedy and selfish sometimes.
But it is not natural to anywhere near the levels that we exhibit (and are taught / encouraged / forced to exhibit) now.
also a matter of magnitude
it's fairly normal to "screw someone else over" in small, inconsequential ways like cutting in line, or taking the last muffin or something
it's extremely abnormal to do it in ways that are seriously harmful but capitalism requires it to "win"
Human greed causes minor inconveniences for other humans, capitalist greed turns millions of humans into paste.
Sure being greedy and selfish are natural. Just because some behaviors are natural doesn’t mean that others aren’t. The Valsalva maneuver is natural, but you don’t see me shitting at every moment of every day. Some times a brother has to pee too.
it's an argument i've made since before i was a communist, intended specifically for the "greed is human nature" debate, not really meant to be 100% precise and all that
still, it'd make sense if it contains some lingering brainworm particles
Sometimes I drop this on people who have such a bad case of Stockholm syndrome that they can't imagine outside of the bounds of capitalism. It's really hard to argue against a living historical precedent.
On the contrary, I think those impulses are abused but not rewarded for the majority of the population. If people are so self-interested, why not give them a system where they can pursue self-interest on a stable basis by receiving fair compensation for their work and have a greater ability to take risks professionally because they have a safety net?
selflessness and altruism are also natural impulses, but we should only encourage those impulses when acted upon in an individual case, not when structured into society!