Opinion The cult of greed

The heirs on Succession never do any real work or create anything of value. They speak in words, not bothering with full sentences to complete their mergers and acquisitions, supremely indifferent to the layoffs they cause. Collateral damage, so, who cares? The casual savagery on display stems from somewhere. Clearly, people like this exist.

Decadent selfishness is completely normalised these days, attributed to the perils of capitalism in this dog-eat-dog world and philosophically accepted as Darwinian theory, that only the fittest survive. Morality changes over time — greed, once was a vice but is now a mainstream, worthy, aim that runs parallel with the culture of individualism — that one’s own goals and desires take precedence, always. Youth everywhere worship at the altar of money, which is why irreverent tech billionaires are icons exactly the way famous football players and Hollywood stars are.  It’s interesting to note, the pursuit of single-minded self interest was largely frowned upon till a few centuries ago.

“Stars, hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires,” brooded Macbeth, fitfully grabbing and plundering to seize the throne, yet uneasily aware that becoming a greedy tyrant would be a heavy price to pay. Since Biblical times, humanity has been cautioned that money is the root cause of all evil. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the high status of aristocracy and nobility throughout feudalistic Europe was defined by not needing to toil for a living; a life of trade was looked down upon, as the preserve of the lower classes. In fact, a nobleman in France could lose rank for pursuing certain businesses like charging interest, and banking. No doubt, there was plenty wrong with the messy distinctions between landed gentry and peasantry then, but it could be argued that the wealth disparity in existence now has created equally appalling new kingdoms, with the majority doomed to serfdom like servility.
Nowadays, only the old-fashioned believe money is a byproduct of excellence, the conviction that once one has gained mastery at a chosen field, rewards will flow, automatically. The greed-is-good ideology has permeated all aspects of life. This attitude is reflected in Succession when the character playing a canny, private equity player cynically remarks, “I’m spiritually, emotionally, ethically and morally behind whoever wins.”

Make no mistake, this affects society at large. For example, the five most sought after dermatologists in Delhi charge upwards of Rs 7,000 a consultation and it’s impossible to get an appointment even a month in advance. Meanwhile, the best cardiologists top out at Rs 3,000 per visit. Alas, pimple popping is far more lucrative than cleaning up critical arteries. When the system repeatedly and lavishly rewards the superficial, it changes the way we think about what’s valuable.

One can only wonder how things will play out in the final stage of history. We all have our personal idiosyncrasies, if it’s not about chasing money, it’s a craving for some other self-defeating behaviour. Striving, tirelessly, for the next big high is unfortunately the human situation, a futile attempt to escape from boredom, or anxiety, and ourselves. Only once all the resources are over, the meek shall inherit the parched and arid earth.

The writer is director, Hutkay Films