NEGATIVE TRAIT THESAURUS

GREEDY



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HELPFUL TIP:

Characters with this flaw will be extra sensitive to certain emotions, so think about how events in your story might specifically trigger these feelings to generate compelling tension and conflict. Another idea is to give a supporting character a positive attribute that is an opposite of this flaw, which will get under the skin of both characters and cause friction in their relationship.
DEFINITION:
Selfishly desiring money or possessions

SIMILAR FLAWS:
Avaricious, grasping, rapacious

POSSIBLE CAUSES:
The belief that if one is capable of taking something, one deserves to have it
A desire for power
Being overly competitive
Having experienced poverty and wanting to avoid it in the future
Extreme ambition
Envy; wanting what others have
Self-centeredness
Skewed values; choosing desire over need

ASSOCIATED BEHAVIORS AND ATTITUDES:
Obsessive goal-setting; always knowing what one wants and making plans to succeed
Wanting things that may or may not be good for oneself
Rationalizing one's actions: If he's dumb enough to think it's a Rolex, I'll charge him for a Rolex.
Having a bloated sense of pride in one's accomplishments and possessions
Watching for opportunities and taking advantage of them
Educating oneself in an effort to maximize one's chances to amass wealth or power
Discrediting the opposition (spreading rumors, sharing inside information, etc.)
Compromising one's morals or values to get what one wants
Always buying the best
Refusing to trust people, hedging one's bets
Needing to control all aspects of one's life
Rubbing one's success in others' faces
Stealing, if necessary
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ASSOCIATED THOUGHTS:
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ASSOCIATED EMOTIONS:
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POSITIVE ASPECTS:
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NEGATIVE ASPECTS:
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EXAMPLE FROM FILM:
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OVERCOMING THIS TRAIT AS A MAJOR FLAW:
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TRAITS IN SUPPORTING CHARACTERS THAT MAY CAUSE CONFLICT:
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