Monday, December 27, 2010

GREED


GREED

When I see the unbridled greed all around me, especially the greed for acquiring land and real estate, I am reminded of one of my favourite short stories - HOW MUCH LAND DOES A MAN NEED ? by Leo Tolstoy published way back in 1886.

It is a simple story about how a man destroys himself because he allows greed to be the prime mover of his life. A man is offered as much land as he wants provided he can walk its perimeter in one day from sunrise to sunset. He starts off at sunrise and exerts himself so much due to his greed to acquire the maximum possible land that he collapses and dies of exhaustion at the end of the day. Finally he is buried in a hole six feet long by two feet wide – that is all the land he needs!

Do read the story – it is a famous story and I am sure you will get it. It is freely available on the internet too and I am giving a few links below:





This story had a profound effect on me when I first read it long ago – it still has. I am sure you will like the story too and reflect on it whenever you feel greedy!

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