Avarice
When greed is called an exaggerated frugality , combined with it to share the indignation of goods. Closely related terms are greed , greed and greed . In classical Christian theology, avaritia , avaritia in Latin , is one of the seven “main vices” (or “root vices ”; often incorrectly referred to as the seven “ deadly sins ”).
The stingy man
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Geizhals or miser is a reproachful term for a person who, regardless of their economic situation, avoids giving away goods and money as much as possible, even at the expense of their own standard of living. Colloquially or regionally, they are also known as Pfennigfuchser , Filz , Harpagon , Geizhammel , Geizknochen , Knicker , Knickstiebel , Knorzer , Furzklemmer, Rappenspalter (Swiss) or also Entenklemmer (Swabian).
The stereotypes of the miser are: rich , greedy , leading a self-chosen poor lifestyle in order to guard and increase his treasures. Internationally, the "stingy" Scots and the "thrifty" Dutch are decried as misers. Within Germany, people like to attribute this vice to the Swabians . As a consequence of the historically determined pursuit of professions with an affinity for money, Jews are also traditionally portrayed in anti-Semitic caricatures as misers and / or capitalists.
The curmudgeon often serves as the capitalist's propaganda cliché , as shown by caricatures of the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War. It stands as a cliché for business people who have amassed a great deal of wealth through immoral business (exploitation and the like) and are either not interested in the fate of the poor or even take advantage of them. In contrast to the traditional curmudgeon, the capitalist is also portrayed here as a prasser and decadent spendthrift.
The emergence of avarice
Depth psychological view
The depth psychology brings greed and individual possessiveness with an anal fixation combined. The relationship with the mother is shaped by the aspects of distance and rapprochement with her. The excrement is understood as part of the self and is seen as the child's first gift to the environment. Anal pleasure includes feelings of autonomy , mastery, defiance and pride in one's own product. The typical anal reaction and character formations are characterized by clear defense and satisfaction actions of anal impulses. Neatness, thrift, and obstinacy are the typical anal trinity , according to Freud .
Behavioral view
Stingy-greedy behavior can be acquired in the context of educational and learning processes . Although the roots of behavior are in childhood, stingy behavior is the result of learning. The behavior is sustained and consolidated through positive reinforcers . The activation of the expectation and reward system plays a special role here, which in connection with greed is also in the interests of neuropsychology and evolutionary psychology .
Influence of genetics and the environment
According to a twin study with 1,110 Korean twins with an average age of 18 years ( standard deviation : 3.3), the heritability of greed is 28%. According to the study, the environmental (72%) variation is not due to the common upbringing in the family, but to uniquely experienced environmental influences.
Well-known miser in literature
- Pantalone - theater character of the Italian Commedia dell'arte in tight red tights
- Silas Marner - English, in George Eliot 's novel of the same name
- Ebenezer Scrooge - Englishman, figure at Charles Dickens
- Shylock - Jewish Venetian by William Shakespeare
- Harpagon in Molières " The Miser "
- Dagobert Duck (English original name: Scrooge McDuck, parodying Ebenezer Scrooge (see above) ) - Entenhausen of Scottish descent, the richest drake in the world, Disney character by Carl Barks
- John Arthur Molyneux Errol, Earl of Dorincourt - in Little Lord Fauntleroy , stereotype of the English aristocrat of the late 19th / early 20th century
literature
- Article avarice in the German dictionary by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm , first edition (1854–1960).
- Daniel Barben : Avarice. In: Historical-Critical Dictionary of Marxism . Vol. 5, Argument-Verlag, Hamburg 2001, Sp. 138-142.
- Anton Bucher : Avarice, indolence, envy & Co. in therapy and pastoral care: Psychology of the 7 deadly sins . Springer, Heidelberg and Berlin 2012, ISBN 978-3-642-04906-4 .
- Frederik Hanssen (Ed.): The savings book. A short cultural history of virtue and vice, money and greed. Fannei and Walz, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-927574-40-6 .
- Hans Reiner : Avarice . In: Historical Dictionary of Philosophy , Volume 3. Schwabe, Basel 1974, Sp. 217–219.
- Volker Reinhardt : My money! My soul! The greatest misers and their stories. Beck, Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-406-59193-8 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://www.zeno.org/Adelung-1793/A/Pfennigfuchser,+der?hl=pfennigfuchser
- ↑ http://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Filz
- ↑ http://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Harpagon
- ↑ http://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Geizhammel
- ↑ http://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Geizknochen
- ↑ http://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Knicker_Knauser_Pfennigfuchser
- ↑ http://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Knickstiebel
- ↑ http://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Knorzer
- ↑ http://www.zeno.org/Wander-1867/A/Furzklemmer?hl=pfennigfuchser
- ↑ Hans Hopf, Evelyn Heinemann: Mental disorders in childhood and adolescence: Symptoms- Psychodynamik, W. Kohlhammer Verlag, ISBN 978-3-17-020089-0 , page 16
- ^ Anton Bucher: Avarice, sluggishness, envy & Co.- Therapy and Pastoral Care: Psychology of the 7 Deadly Sins, Springer Verlag 2012, ISBN 978-3-642-04906-4, page 46f.
- ^ Yoon-Mi Hur, Hoe-Uk Jeong, Julie Aitken Schermer, J. Philippe Rushton (2011): Miserliness is heritable. Personality and Individual Differences.