Feeding on Greed

I need a greed feed now!

I need a greed feed now!

Ah greed, one of the 7 deadly sins. According to Merriam Webster, greed is a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (as money) than is needed. I like Carol’s definition: greed is an empty energetic promise of satisfaction that can never be achieved. In this model, greed sets up an expectation vortex – to wit, the more we get, the less we think we have and the more we seek to compensate for the deficit as a result.

As in the tapeworm metaphor (see the Tapeworm Metaphor), greed is a parasitic thought process that demands minimal input from itself and a maximum outflow from its host. The parasite  consumes ever more energy from its host, yet is never satisfied in the end. Unaware of its existence, the obedient host mechanically serves the parasites demands and unconsciously nurtures its growth. As the parasite increases in size and strength, its appetite and expectations grow even more voracious and demanding.The will of the host eventually becomes that of the parasitic feeder within as a last chance survival effort.

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Feeder Types – Middle Feeders

Is the glass half full or half empty?... That IS the question!

Is the glass half full or half empty?… That IS the question!

The Middle Feeder takes its feeding opportunities less seriously than those at the top of the feed chain.  At the top, predation is more aggressive and confrontational, meaning – more of an even playing field for both predator and prey. For example, the sharks are big, fast and confident as are many of their prey like Tuna and Swordfish. The sharks have little regard to the way they feed and thus often waste more than they swallow. That waste falls to the benefit of the middle area – where the Middle Feeders hang out. Caught in this descending food spiral are the remnants of broken lives, leftovers from empty energy investments, etc.

Middle Feeders are concerned about location. They like to follow the big fish – hoping to live off the leftovers. For example, a newscaster following a presidential candidate might embellish upon the faux pas and negative utterances made by the candidate.

Middle Feeders have a loosely held set of feeding rules that apply more to others than to them. A Middle Feeder builds a whole feeding reality around their beliefs, which includes wishing they had more than they need – a “wannabe” wish. They feel envious of those they consider higher up the social ladder than them. They settle for less as long as there is a steady feed flowing to them – their credo is, “It’s good enough”. They are quick to point out the faults of the rich and poor alike in order to make their position more palatable.

The Middle Feeder is plagued by the terrifying desire for more of what they envy in others, but the idea of paying the price for satisfying that desire means a level of commitment or effort that exists outside their comfort zone. It’s just more convenient and far less risky.

In the mind of a Middle Feeder being passive is a virtue, yet all the while they want to appear as though they are making a stand for a good cause. Appearance is important, which allows the Middle Feeder to associate with those outside of their comfort in relative safety. Under the guise of friendship and fellowship, they wait their opportunity to dig or expose. Yum, yum!

Middle Feeders love to cry foul while hiding behind cohorts. There, limited conscience can provide unlimited feeding opportunities.

Coulda Woulda Shoulda

No one is safe from a defensive shadow!

No one is safe from a defensive shadow!

“If only” and “what if” are often associated with coulda, woulda and shoulda by playing a part in the regret. Coulda, woulda and shoulda such seemingly innocuous words are often used to create a powerful feed. Those three little words can twist possibilities into absolutes by making what didn’t happen a huge mistake and what might happen a potential disaster.

A good feed begins with the feeder agreeing or disagreeing with the feedee, who is defending their chosen reality. The challenge to one’s reality will always bring up defense.   Feedees feed on not being good enough while the feeders,  like any predator, feeds on being better than others. Artificially generated claims of knowing and understanding another’s experience all bring on the feast by sheer need to prove validity of reality.

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