ABSTRACT
Greed is the need to acquire money, material wealth, and a position in power structures based on wealth. Psychologically, greed is an automatic response to the danger of annihilation, a fear of not having an existence. As long as we believe that our existence is purely material, we will overeat, overindulge, and overspend. If, on the other hand, we believe that we are entirely nonmaterial and seek only solace in the spiritual, then that is a manifestation of the same greed nurtured by a fear of letting go of the ego, the false self. How do greed and prudence affect leadership? Greed serves to accumulate all that seems valuable to the ego, and makes the ego central. This gives a tremendous sense of control and safety. In Dante’s Purgatory, greed is the sin with the greatest repercussions because it impacts the whole of society in its corrupting nature. Prudent thinking is rooted in the notion of free will and is independent of the system that binds a person through fear or a false promise of material safety and power. Prudence is the intent to do the right thing, not to look right - the chapter explores the critical difference here.
