2009 – 5th Grade 2nd Place Winner.

Henry Shapard, Ohio.

Greed or Giving: Which Has a Greater Impact on Society?

Have you ever felt a moment of pure selfishness? I certainly have. Even though humans have these normal moments of greed, most of us have chosen to live our lives, as individuals, in our families, and in our community, based on giving up things of value to us, whether some of our freedoms, our money, or our time. This giving fills all aspects of our lives much more than those little moments of greed.
Giving is everywhere in our individual lives. Think of giving a present and not expecting anything in return. Some of us are brave enough to rescue a person in danger without any hope of a reward. And many of us get genuine pleasure in making kind gestures without expecting any acknowledgement. These examples show how much we give in our individual lives.
As they form families, humans have an instinct to give to family members they love. Family groups are the basis of our world. Families love each other and willingly support each other. Parents are almost always willing to give the most to their children, no matter what the situation. Almost every family has giving in mind each day.
Branching out from individuals and families, we give every day in our communities. We give up the freedom to live any way we like, even to break into a neighbor’s house, in exchange for sensible laws that protect us. Unfortunately, there are wars in the world, but people give their time and money to end these terrible events ,and the wars eventually stop. Communities also band together to collect funds for people in need, giving to orphanages, food drives, or hospitals. These are all simple, reasonable ways humans band together to give to new communities.
Even though we humans can be greedy at times, we give so much more. Think about it. We all give in our own way much more than we are greedy in our own way. Greed has not yet taken over the world, and humans make sure that they are continually giving in some way or another. The world is mostly peaceful, and because of giving, humans are able to enjoy their lives.

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