larceny - noun - unlawful taking and carrying away of of personal property with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it permanently (Merriam-Webster)
On the list of the Seven Deadly Sins, greed comes in second only after pride, which is said to beget greed as well as the other five that follow. But is greed a learned behavior (environmental in origin) or is it ingrained (a product of genetics)? Based on my own observations (years of teaching multiple grade levels), I believe that the greedy (more males than females) are born with the propensity to desire more than their share and will go an unlawful distance (commit larceny) in order to obtain it.
Case in point: Yesterday, I had the privilege to be one of over a hundred children's book authors (mainly self-published) at the third annual LA Kids Book Festival in West Hollywood. Due to the stiff competition, to attract interest in the wares I was selling, I decided to offer Halloween candy in advance of the holiday to those children who participated in my contest involving guessing the number of Tootsie Rolls in a large canister. In other words, in order to receive the trophy (a piece of candy), they had to do something to earn it (a new concept, I know). Naturally because of sloth (number seven on the list of sins), most of the kids just wanted to dig their fingers into the basket and take as much as possible without so much as nominal conjecture. The younger the child, the more he felt he deserved. I say "he" because most of the culprits were boys. Hmm. Toward the end of the day, a male youngster of ten who looked very familiar approached me with the correct number of treats in the can. After he had left with a free book, I remembered that he was present at the time that one of the dads guessed correctly and won, meaning he "stole" the correct answer to win. Clearly greed and deception are related.
And then I found myself asking this question: Are boys just more prone to beg, borrow, or steal than girls? Let's go with "steal." According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, 94% of individuals sentenced for robbery recently were men, and the average age was 33. I do think that environmental factors contribute to the high figure, but I also think testosterone and genetics play a role. For instance, a close male friend of mine just happens to be the descendant of British pirates. Recently, he admitted to me that when he was in his twenties, he would "borrow cars," meaning he would break into them, start them up, drive them around town, and then leave them unharmed a few miles from where he had entered them. Although he was never arrested and charged with theft, he definitely entered someone else's property illegally (sans permission). This action he claimed fell into a "gray area." I disagreed. He had the earmarkings of a car jacker despite the fact that he didn't wind up selling the cars for parts. A rose by any other name is still a rose; albeit not quite full throttle, he is as much of a pirate as his ancestors. And get this. His biological brothers were cat burglars who also were never apprehended. I rest my case. Toss the coin. Heads, environment. Tails, genes. Genes it is.
It comes down to this. Parents beware. Teach your children well, particularly if you have boys. Human nature tends to creep up on them more vehemently than it does on girls. Although some feel that girls are harder to raise than boys, in this case, I'd argue that the opposite is true.
Just sayin'.
Remembering 9/11 with peace, hope, and love for all of those who sustained losses.
#blog, #blogger, #greed, #human nature, #genetics, #social commentary, #personal essay
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