How Greed and Fear Silently Control Our Decisions ⚖️

 

                                                                                

Real-life reflections on Greed and Fear.
Image Courtesy: AI Generated Illustration.

How Greed and Fear Silently Control Our Decisions ⚖️

We often believe our decisions are logical.

We think we analyse.
We calculate.
We plan carefully.

But I think life has a quiet way of exposing the truth.

Many of my biggest mistakes were not caused by lack of knowledge.

They were caused by two silent emotions:

Greed… and Fear.

They don’t shout.
They whisper.

And slowly, they begin to control our decisions.

---

📈 The Share Market Lesson I Paid For

There was a time when I was active in the share market.

On the advice of a well-known broker, I bought 200 shares at ₹300 each.

Within just two days, the price rose to ₹500.

I was already sitting on a good profit.

The broker clearly told me,
“The target is achieved. Sell immediately.”

But greed spoke softly inside me:

“If it reached ₹500 so quickly, it will go even higher.”
“Why sell now?”

So I held the shares.

From the third day, the fall began.

Then came lower circuits.

Within days, the share touched ₹200.

Now greed disappeared.

Fear took over:

“What if it falls further?”
“What if I lose everything?”

In panic, I sold.

In just a few days, I experienced the full emotional cycle:

Greed when I should have been disciplined.
Fear when I should have been patient.

The market did not defeat me.

My emotions did.

---

🏏 The Run-Out on 99

I still remember watching a Test match where M. S. Dhoni was batting on 99.

Just one run away from a century.

He attempted a run where there was hardly any run.

The throw came fast.
The stumps were broken.

Run out on 99.

I quietly switched off the television.

It was not about blaming a legend.

It was about recognising something deeply human.

Even at 99, we rush for 100.

How many times in life do we already have 99 —
and still run for the risky second?

---

🚗 The Expressway Incident

About five years ago, I was travelling on an expressway in a taxi.

The driver was driving very smoothly. I praised him.

Perhaps that praise touched his ego.

He began overtaking vehicles aggressively.

I tried to stop him, but he did not listen.

While overtaking, he suddenly braked in fear seeing a vehicle ahead.

The car behind us hit our taxi.

Thankfully, no one was injured.

But that moment stayed with me.

First came greed — for recognition.
Then came fear — of collision.

Both created danger.

---

🚦 The Signal We Ignore

At a traffic signal, when the light turns yellow, we have a choice.

Slow down.
Or accelerate.

Greed says,
“Save time.”

Fear says,
“Vehicles behind will honk.”

So we press the accelerator.

Sometimes nothing happens.

Sometimes one second changes everything.

All for saving a few seconds.

---

🧠 The Silent Pressure of Comparison

There was a time when I was not chasing money.

I was chasing comparison.

A friend bought a bigger house.
Someone retired with impressive savings.
Someone’s child settled abroad.

Outwardly, I smiled.

Inwardly, dissatisfaction grew.

Greed is not always about wealth.

Sometimes it is about status.

Comparison quietly steals gratitude.

And comparison has no finish line.

---

⏳ The Fear of Missing Out

In today’s fast world, everyone seems to move quickly.

Investing boldly.
Switching careers.
Taking risks.

Watching all this, we sometimes feel:

“Am I falling behind?”

Fear pushes us into decisions that don’t match our nature.

Not every fast runner wins.
Not every slow walker loses.

But fear makes us doubt our own pace.

---

🏥 Fear That Delays Action

There was a time I ignored minor health warnings.

Nothing serious — just small signs.

I postponed check-ups.

Why?

Because I feared hearing bad news.

When I finally visited the doctor, he said,
“You should have come earlier.”

Thankfully, it was manageable.

But that day I understood:

Fear does not always protect us.

Sometimes, it postpones what is necessary.

---

🪞 When We Blame Luck Instead of Emotion

After wrong decisions, it is easy to blame luck.

“If only the market had not fallen.”
“If only circumstances were different.”

But in truth, warning signs were often visible.

The broker had advised discipline.
The road demanded patience.

Yet emotion clouded clarity.

Greed makes us overconfident.
Fear makes us reactive.

Maturity begins when we accept responsibility.

Not to criticise ourselves —
but to understand ourselves.

Because what we recognise, we can manage.

---

🦌 A Timeless Reminder

A line from the famous Geet Ramayan written by G. D. Madgulkar always comes to my mind:

“मृग सोन्याचा जगी असंभव, तरीही त्याला भुलले राघव.”

The golden deer is impossible in this world, yet even Raghav (Lord Rama) was enchanted by it.

That one moment of illusion led to events that shaped the entire Ramayana.

The golden deer was not real.

But its consequences were.

In our lives too, golden deer appear:

Unrealistic profits.
Risky shortcuts.
Ego-driven decisions.
Status-driven comparison.

They shine.

They attract.

But not everything that glitters is worth chasing.

---

📊 The Power of Calculated Risk

The answer is not to eliminate risk.

The answer is to take calculated risk.

Greed pushes us into blind risk.
Fear stops us from taking any risk.

Blind risk is emotional.
Calculated risk is thoughtful.

Before making a big decision, we must ask:

• What is the worst possible outcome?

• Can I handle that outcome?

• Am I acting out of greed?

• Am I avoiding action out of fear?

Calculated risk does not guarantee success.

But it protects peace.

---

🌱 Emotional Discipline Is the Real Wealth

True success is not measured only in profit or position.

It is measured in stability.

Can we remain calm when profit rises?
Can we remain steady when loss appears?
Can we say “enough” when desire pushes?
Can we say “try” when fear pulls back?

Intelligence tells us what is right.

Emotional discipline helps us do what is right.

---

🌿 Conclusion: Pause Before You Chase

Greed and fear are part of human nature.

They are natural.

But if left uncontrolled,
the loss is ours.

Sometimes financial.
Sometimes emotional.
Sometimes physical.

Before your next important decision, pause and ask:

Am I chasing a golden deer?

Because sometimes, protecting what we already have
is wiser than running for one more run.

And sometimes, the bravest decision
is simply to pause… and think.

----

 Literary Courtesy

The line “मृग सोन्याचा जगी असंभव, तरीही त्याला भुलले राघव” is from the renowned Marathi lyrical work Geet Ramayan, written by G. D. Madgulkar.

You may also like to read: 👉Why Are Human Always in a Hurry? A Thoughtful Impact on Life and Nature. https://www.lifethoughtsbyajit.com/2025/07/why-are-human-always-in-hurry.html