The word “acquisitiveness” is a derivative of the Old Slavonic “acquisitiveness”, meaning “acquisition”, “possession”, “collecting something”. The noun “acquisitive” and the verb “to acquire” are also related. These words are often found in the Holy Scriptures and can be heard read in church during services.
Moreover, the term being studied has two sides – both positive and negative. Everything will depend on what kind of values a person acquires and whether the treasures he has collected are pleasing to God. More details about what this is – “acquisitiveness”, “acquisitiveness” and “acquisitiveness” will be discussed in the proposed review.
Covetousness is a mortal sin in Orthodoxy
In Orthodoxy, the word “acquisitiveness” is understood as a painful, greedy desire for profit, as a thirst for acquiring and accumulating material values and money. Often this is an unrighteous, unfair and illegal desire to accumulate various kinds of values, which has nothing to do with the desire to live richly and prosperously, in prosperity and contentment.
In Orthodoxy, money-grubbing and greed are considered mortal sins.
It leads to internal discomfort, to profit at any cost, to attempts to take material values, money or fame, honor and fame undeservedly, regardless of the law and morality, the opinion of others.
What does the word "acquisition" mean?
To get more information, let's delve into the books. D. N. Ushakov quotes A. S. Pushkin: “From huts, from cells, from dungeons they (robbers) flocked together to make money.” Here it is clear that the word has nothing to do with spiritual work. However, it means work, albeit sinful, since it refers to the activities of bandits. They gathered to fill their own pockets with other people's wealth. It turns out that acquisition is getting something, acquiring something. Moreover, the specific philosophical and moral aspect of the word is specified by the context of the sentence. We can talk about acquiring wealth through righteous labor or theft. The essence does not change. The word means acquiring or receiving. But additional terms in the expression fill it with meaning. For A.S. Pushkin this would be an illegal, immoral activity. In the mouth of Seraphim of Sarov is the highest work of the soul.
Acquisitiveness as a painful addiction
We all strive to live better, to provide for our family, children and grandchildren. We all work and try to earn more so that we can buy everything we need for our family and friends. We all approve of people who were able to do this, sometimes we envy them, but we are not averse to achieving the same.
The desire to earn more for an ordinary person means the opportunity to improve the quality of life for themselves and the lives of loved ones, that is, to exchange the results of their labor for necessary services and goods.
For a money-grubber, the main goal is to constantly receive more money.
He does not set himself the goal of receiving a specific amount to fulfill any desire.
A negative attitude towards acquisitiveness is due to the fact that it is an unpleasant and painful dependence of a person on the acquisition of values, when money becomes the measure of everything, there are no other interests and aspirations, and other values are not important to a person. Sometimes money-grubbers save on literally everything: on clothing and quality food, on furnishings in the apartment, on vacation and treatment, although the income they receive allows them to live comfortably and in abundance.
For a money-grubber, money ceases to be a means of ensuring a normal life, a means of exchange; it becomes the main and only goal of life.
Verb meaning
It is given in the dictionary in three versions:
- Bookish, outdated - to make money, acquire property, money, showing greed. Example: For such a person it is a pleasure to steal, acquire, offend, rob, offend, take away someone else’s property.
- High style - to achieve through one’s activities, to achieve something, to deserve, for example, respect, fame. Example: N.A. Berdyaev in “The Meaning of Creativity” noted that a person, with the help of religious and moral perfection, atones for his sin and, by participating in redemption, acquires eternal life.
- To bring someone, to bring respect, glory. Example: About Empress Elizabeth N. E. Heinze wrote that she was able to preserve on the throne that simplicity of Peter, that love for her homeland, which earned her the name “mother” from the people.
Signs of a money-grubber
A money-grubber exhibits character traits that repel people from him. Everyone avoids communicating with a person who has the following characteristics and habits:
- Pettiness reaching the point of absurdity, the desire to save every penny can lead to scandals in stores and at home.
- Excessive and inappropriate savings on everything: clothes that are too cheap, food of poor quality and only what is necessary, savings on entertainment, vacations and medicines.
- Attempts to make money bypassing the law and moral standards, not disdaining bribes, extortion, theft and begging.
- The hobbies of such a person are also always connected with the opportunity to get something: if fishing, then the fish will go to food or sale, or even poaching.
Origin of the expression
Seraphim Sarovsky introduced this phrase into circulation. Once he talked with Motovilov about spiritual issues. Their reasoning concerned the essence of faith, what happens to a person during prayer. Seraphim of Sarov said that like a person trying to achieve wealth and fame, so does one who prays. Only his “achievements” lie in a different area. The believer strives to obtain the Holy Spirit, uniting him with the Lord. This expression is borrowed from ordinary worldly faith. Acquiring the Holy Spirit is acquiring grace. Seraphim of Sarov compared the work of a believer with what we do in ordinary life. A person’s work is aimed at obtaining benefits for himself and his family. This is clear to everyone and does not require additional explanation. But the work of the soul striving for the Lord should be explained, since people cannot figuratively imagine what it consists of. Seraphim of Sarov tried to find an expression understandable to the parishioners. In his mouth, acquisition is receiving or acquiring through labor. Moreover, what a person works for is a priori the highest value.
Reasons for acquisitiveness
The reasons for money-grubbing should be sought in childhood. If a person lived in need, did not have the most necessary things that other children had, parents refused some necessary things, citing the lack of money, the child could get the impression of the key role of money in life, of the need to have as much of it as possible, so as not to deny yourself anything.
Acquisitiveness can also be understood as the desire to make one’s life safer, to increase control over one’s life, and to overcome fear of life. To do this, a person, using any means, without disdaining anything, tries to create the maximum possible reserves of material values, money, so as not to lose confidence under any circumstances. This is an attempt to create a reliable basis for material well-being, which is based on a large supply of cash and any other valuables. The pursuit of profit becomes the main and only goal of a person obsessed with acquisitiveness.
It could have been different, in the child’s family they attached too much importance to money and its quantity, they constantly talked about it, discussed the level of well-being of friends and neighbors, the child could adopt this way of thinking.
Acquisitiveness is a way of escaping into a fantasy world, a way to gain confidence, to become complete.
Synonyms of our term
Dictionaries explain our term based on its worldly content. Synonyms for it are “self-interest”, “sinking” or “property”. A person strives for a more prosperous life. Some work honestly, others are cunning and deceiving. But they have the same goal - to get rich, eat sweets, be safe, and live better than others. That is, acquisition means the acquisition of value by any means. Again, the meaning of the word is clarified by additional elements in the phrase. For example, A. N. Apukhtin has the expression “rich in unrighteous acquisitions.” Its essence is quite clear. It talks about a man who became rich through theft.
Acquisitiveness and relationships
Acquisitiveness, like any deviations and illnesses, affects relationships with people, relationships with the team, neighbors, and family. Probably, greed, pettiness, and hoarding have the most destructive effect on family relationships: few people want to live life with an obsessed person, and not obsessed with some noble and high cause, but with hoarding and petty saving.
At work, in relationships with colleagues, there will be problems, because balance needs to be maintained in relationships, and a money-grubber is not able to give, he only strives to take.
It is very difficult to cure acquisitiveness and re-educate it. It is necessary to try to raise a person’s self-esteem, to show his worth regardless of money, to try to captivate him with something, although it is difficult to change an adult if he does not want to.
If a person himself wants to change and understands his addiction, we can assume that the first step towards recovery has been taken, in which case the help of family and friends will be useful.
Greedy man
Acquisitiveness defines a man or woman as a greedy person. She is ready to do anything for the sake of profit - the meaning of the value for which she fights is determined by her personal beliefs. Those around you may perceive such a benefit differently.
A person seeks self-interest in everything:
- at work, such people are management’s favorites, they curry favor with their superiors and set up competitors in order to appear better in comparison;
- in their personal lives, greedy people are not capable of sincere feelings;
- in public life, acquisitiveness influences the perception of people around him - out of fear of being used, a person chooses voluntary imprisonment.
Acquisitiveness influences the perception of other people's actions. Whatever they do, whatever they say, the money-grubber perceives it as an encroachment on profit.
A greedy person does not tolerate competition: if he has a rival, any methods are used in confrontation - from manipulation to sabotage.
Consequences of Greed
Greed harms the individual. It doesn't allow you to enjoy life. Due to the constant need to accumulate money, the money-grubber spoils relationships with his family and gives up entertainment and hobbies. The more he becomes dependent on hoarding money, the less peace he has. Constant internal tension affects your overall well-being.
Against the background of increased aggression, paranoia develops. Stress resistance gradually decreases. The money-grubber cannot withstand the rhythm of life: he works hard to replenish his savings. This condition does not go away without a trace - the person develops other mental disorders.
What does “acquiring the Holy Spirit” mean?
Let's return to the explanations of Seraphim of Sarov. He explained the phrase in some detail. A person has three sources of desires, will. The first is spiritual, it pushes towards unity with the Lord and the acquisition of grace. The second is your own, the third is demonic. The latter forces one to act out of self-interest, pride or vanity. Everyone has it and it is very dangerous. The second will gives a person a choice. He decides for himself what motives guide him, what to do and why. Some steal, others do good. But they act for worldly results. We did good to our neighbor so that it would please him and ourselves. Only the first will is from God. She pushes a person to do good deeds for the sake of the Holy Spirit. When a person listens to her, he also collects “capital”. But not worldly, like gold and money, but eternal. Seraphim of Sarov said that people need to accumulate this wealth as much as possible. Do not be afraid of it, but strive to acquire it. The essence of faith is not in prayer, as such, and not in the performance of rituals. The meaning of everything that a churchgoer does is to acquire the Holy Spirit, to accumulate this eternal wealth.
The word “acquisition” in the texts of Holy Scripture
Here are some examples of the use of the word “acquisition” in the Church Slavonic texts of the Gospel and the Old Testament:
- When the young man heard the word, he went away mourning: for he had much gain (Matthew 19.22). The Evangelist Matthew describes an incident that occurred in Judea. A rich young man approached Christ with the question: how to please God? According to him, he strictly observed all ten commandments. Then the Lord, wanting to test the young righteous man, called him: “Give away your possessions and follow Me.” Hearing this, the young man sadly left Christ, because he had a lot of wealth that he was sorry to part with. In this short story, the word “acquisitions” is used to mean “possessions” accumulated over many years of wealth. These acquisitions prevent the young man from becoming perfect.
- Make his master of your house prince of all your acquisitions (Ps. 104). This is a verse from a psalm that describes an event in the Old Testament (i.e., before the Nativity of Christ). One of the twelve sons of Patriarch Jacob, Joseph, was sold into slavery by his own brothers to the Egyptians. But the Egyptian pharaoh immediately saw the beauty, intelligence and talents of the new slave. Soon he ordered Joseph to be appointed governor of his kingdom. In this case, the word “acquisitions” means “the property of the king,” that is, all state values belonging to the pharaoh and the people he owns.
- Remember your company, which you acquired from the beginning (Ps. 73). In this case, the “host” means the Jews whom God chose and “acquired” for Himself from the first times, that is, from ancient times.
