The Inventions Of Greed: Eli Whitney And Henry Ford

Greed is a subjectively abstract concept that can vary from person to person as well as from different situations. When one speak of greed, you may justifiably think of negative things, such as unfair deals that leave one side of the party rich and thriving, while the other side is left broken and bleeding. Although greed is commonly thought of as “bad”, there is also such a thing as “good” greed. For example, good greed could be seen as the creation of different inventions which increased productivity and efficiency in life. Inventors such as Eli Whitney and Henry Ford wanted to sell their products to gain revenue while simultaneously giving back to the community from the use of their inventions. Both parties, the inventors and the masses,

benefit from this greed. Good greed is also seen with the eagerness of Cornelius Vanderbilt in the shipping and railroad industries. First, shipping provided transportation services to many ports. Later, the use of railroads increased, connecting vast areas of land all across America. This directly increased sales of regional products such as oil and lumber. Vanderbilt’s greed to increase the use of railroads benefited American people and businesses across the nation.
The word greed also comes up when you think of certain employers; you may remember the harsh treatment of factory workers in the early stages of the Industrial Revolution where working conditions were long, laborsome, and dangerous. But, the right type of greed from employers can help their workers as well. For example, if a boss or employer incentivizes their employees to make as much money as they can and be successful, then the company will make money, as well as the workers. This is good greed that creates a win-win situation which can catapult businesses into a successful environment.