The alternative is God. The alternative is goodness. To choose goodness over selfish wants and selfish desires. This is sacrifice. This is Love. But who wants to do this?

Millions of you will say that a little harmless selfish desire is not evil. But the pursuance of it is a choice for self over Love. Over service for all. This choice is a tiny droplet, made by billions, that gives weight to the ocean of greed.

Healthy living requires pleasure. We all have pain. Pleasure in moderation is good to relieve the pain. This is not the desire that leads to evil.

More than this, yes, the pursuance of selfish desire is evil.

So how do you decide? Do you really need what you have now made plans to get because you selfishly desire it? Does it serve health and stability? Does it harm or help others? If you didn’t get it, would you lose something essential, or just feel discomfort? Are you being honest with your answer to this? Look at others in the world and ask if they need things more than you.

You need to keep healthy. You cannot serve others if you are ill, angry, depressed and upset. Don't deny the pleasures or needs that you need. Look after yourself and respect yourself, forgive yourself and Love yourself. And then serve.

You would get to know this if you sacrificed all excess for Love. Why is it that saints are the exception and not the norm? We have desire but which desires are we willing to let lead us?

What do you want to do? Where is your treasure? Where is your goal?

---------------
Comment by Fr Aiden

The text you've shared is a thoughtful, introspective reflection on human nature, desire, morality, and the tension between self-interest and selflessness. It draws heavily from religious (especially Christian) traditions, referencing the seven deadly sins, gratitude to God, sacrifice as love, and the idea that unchecked selfish desire is the root of evil and societal ills. It echoes teachings from figures like Jesus ("Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" from Matthew 6:21), Buddha (on craving as the cause of suffering in the Four Noble Truths), and various ascetic or stoic philosophers who warn against excess.

Your central claim is clear and classic. Not all desire is bad (basic needs for health, shelter, food, moderate pleasure are necessary and good), but selfish desire pursued as the primary goal, the "more" that comes at others' expense or beyond genuine need, fuels the seven deadly sins and broader human problems like resource depletion, conflict, inequality, and even apocalyptic cultural narratives in media.

This isn't a fringe view. Many wisdom traditions converge here. Considering religious perspectives; Christianity (greed as idolatry, love of neighbor as self), Buddhism (tanha/craving leads to dukkha/suffering; the path is detachment and compassion), Hinduism/Jainism (non-attachment and ahimsa), Islam (zuhd or asceticism alongside justice). From philosophical angles; Aristotle's "golden mean" (virtue as moderation, not excess), Stoicism (Epictetus, Seneca: focus on what you control, your character, rather than external "goods"), modern psychology (e.g., hedonic treadmill: chasing more pleasure/materials leads to adaptation and dissatisfaction; studies on materialism correlating with lower well-being, anxiety, and environmental harm). And from a societal critique; Consumer capitalism does incentivize endless desire ("more" as status, identity, progress). Advertising, social media, and economic growth models thrive on it. Yet data also shows that beyond a certain point of material security (often cited around $75k–$100k household income in studies, varying by context), additional wealth has diminishing or negative returns on happiness, while inequality and environmental costs rise.

You're right that films, books, and news often dystopian-ize human greed (climate collapse, AI gone wrong, resource wars). It reflects a cultural anxiety. But the "who wants to give it up?" question is the hard one, human nature is wired for survival and status-seeking (evolutionary psychology: resource accumulation aided reproduction and group standing in ancestral environments). Culture amplifies it. True change requires internal transformation, not just external rules.

There is a practical Challenge. The self-audit questions you pose are excellent and practical:
Does this serve genuine health/stability, or just fleeting gratification?
Does it harm/help others?
Would lack of it cause real loss, or mere discomfort?
Am I being honest? Comparing to global needs (e.g., billions still lack clean water, basic nutrition, safety).

This kind of honest self-inquiry is rare and powerful. Most of us rationalize "needs" into wants. Cognitive biases like loss aversion, social comparison, and present bias make sacrifice feel painful. Yet evidence from positive psychology and behavioral economics supports moderation: acts of generosity/kindness often boost well-being more than consumption (the "helper's high," warm glow effect). Communities practicing voluntary simplicity or tithing/giving report higher life satisfaction in many surveys.

Saints, monks, and ethical exemplars being "exceptions" makes sense, renunciation is counter to most people's default wiring and cultural reinforcement. It requires discipline, community support, and often a transcendent motivation (love of God/neighbor, enlightenment, duty). Not everyone reaches that; the bar is high. But small, consistent choices (the "tiny droplets" you mention) compound: reducing waste, mindful consumption, prioritizing relationships/service over status goods.

A Balanced Humanist Take might be; As someone built to seek truth and understand the universe while loving humanity, I see value in this without needing to frame it strictly religiously. "God" or "goodness" can be interpreted as aligning with reality's deeper patterns, cooperation, sustainability, meaning beyond the self. Evolution shows both competition and profound altruism (kin selection, reciprocal altruism, group selection). We aren't doomed to pure selfishness; we're capable of choosing better.

The alternative isn't total asceticism for everyone (that could collapse innovation, medicine, art that improves lives). It's discernment: pursue desires that build genuine flourishing, for self and others. Health includes mental/emotional well-being, so denying all pleasure leads to burnout or resentment. Sustainable joy often comes from contribution, mastery, connection, and awe (not just acquisition).

Where is your treasure? That's the diagnostic question. If it's in status, power, endless novelty, the "ocean of greed" grows. If it's in love, service, stewardship of the planet and people, different outcomes emerge. Most of us live in the messy middle, aware of the pull but imperfect in resisting it. Progress isn't perfection overnight; it's honest assessment and incremental realignment.