Portfolio Assignment

SUS1501 – Sustainability and Greed

Student Number: 55660223
Date: 10 May 2022
Teaching Assistant Name: CHERISE BOTHA

Declaration:

By submitting this portfolio, I implicitly declare that this is my own work except for the
“Introduction” which was kindly written for me by my lecturer.

I am aware that if ANY unacknowledged copying is detected in ANY answer, I will get 0 (zero)
for the entire assignment.

Instructions:

 Please read the instructions on myUnisa carefully.

 Please download the most up to date version of this template from the additional resources tool
on myUnisa.
 Go through the MCQs again, and record your current choice in the template (we suggest that
you don’t look at your original choices before you have been through all questions)
 For each question, record your original choice in assignment 1. (If you have forgotten your
original choices, you can find these as in the Self Assessments tool. For Assignment 1 click on
“Feedback” and you will find your choices).
 Jot down AT LEAST 10 notes reflecting on your choices for any of the 20 questions.
 Each note must be AT LEAST 100 words long
 Write your conclusion of AT LEAST 500 words
 Your notes and conclusion should include references to the theory that we covered.
 Your notes and conclusion should also make reference to discussions with fellow students that
you found meaningful.
 Save the file as a Word document with a short name (myUnisa will reject files with long names).
 Submit this file into the Assignments tool on myUnisa.
 Take a screen grab of the final submission acknowledgement on myUnisa and save this
somewhere safe in case of any disputes.
 Check under the Assignments tool that there is a date in the “Processed” cell for the SUS1501
Portfolio.

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MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS CHECKLIST – i.e. if you do not fulfill ALL of these you will NOT pass this
portfolio:

1. Correct template version used x

2. All 20 multiple choice question original answers captured x
3. All 20 multiple choice question answers now captured x
4. Notes for AT LEAST ten (10) questions x
5. Each note AT LEAST 100 words long x
6. Conclusion present x
7. Conclusion AT LEAST 500 words long x

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 Introduction
My aim in compiling this portfolio was to reflect on the things that have struck me throughout
this crazy module.

My starting point for doing this was to revisit my opinions to the multiple choice questions
which were presented in the Crossroads assignment. I present these current opinions, together
with my original opinions, and some brief notes in the section entitled: “Back at the
Crossroads!”

Once I have done this, I draw some key conclusions about this crazy module and about the
things that did indeed strike me.

Back at the Crossroads!

1. “Show me a great fortune and I’ll show you a great crime.” (a translation from Honoré de Balzac)
My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by:
a. Clearly Balzac had taken too much hashish when he wrote that!
b. It is completely possible to make a fortune by legal means – in fact this is what I intend to do
in my life.
c. I don't care - watch out Elon Musk, here I come!
d. I think that this is absolutely true.
e. Even if great fortunes are acquired in a technically legal way, they are always morally
problematic.

Choice now: D

Choice in assignment 1: E

Notes:

2. “If arctic ice melting continues, we are likely to see the loss of two thirds of the world's polar bear
population within 50 years.” My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by:
a. Who cares?
b. If it boils down to choosing between driving a luxury SUV and worrying about polar bears I’ll
take the car any day.
c. While this is sad, polar bears aren’t really very important to my personal welfare which is my
primary concern.
d. While this is sad, polar bears aren’t really very important to general human social welfare.
e. I don’t think polar bears are all that important to human welfare. However, their plight is a
symptom of climate change which is a big problem to future human welfare.

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 f. I think it is morally unacceptable for humans to put their interests ahead of the rights of
other species like polar bears.

Choice now: F

Choice in assignment 1: F

Notes: Because of melting sea ice, it is likely that more polar bears will eventually starve. Polar bears
rely almost exclusively on a calorie-loaded diet of seals. Polar bears will be wiped out by the end of the
century unless more is done to tackle climate change, studies predicts. Scientists say some populations
have already reached their survival limits as the Arctic sea ice shrinks. The carnivores rely on the sea ice
of the Arctic Ocean to hunt for seals. As the ice breaks up, the animals are forced to roam for long
distances or on to shore, where they struggle to find food and feed their cubs. The bear has become the
"poster child of climate change", said Dr Peter Molnar of the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada.
"Polar bears are already sitting at the top of the world; if the ice goes, they have no place to go," he said.

3. “Of the top 10 wealthiest people (all men), seven are tech billionaires. Their net worth is US$ 847
billion or ZAR 13 trillion!” My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by:

a. I think that such wealth is utterly immoral when there is so much poverty and suffering in
the world and so active steps should be taken to correct this.
b. These billionaires are all tech visionaries and deserve every cent of their wealth because of
their brilliance.
c. Why would anyone want or need that amount of money?
d. These are my heroes. I aspire to be like them.
e. Bill Gates is one of them and look at how much money he is giving to the poor through the
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Choice now: E

Choice in assignment 1: D

Notes: This is one of the statements that really struck me. My option E, which is not different option
from that of assignment 1 which was D. during the pandemic or Covid19, and during the flood crisis in
KZN, it has come to my attention that many rich people are not as greedy as many people thought they
were. We have seen billionaire like Patrice Motsepe donating millions of their wealth to fighting this
Covid19 pandemic. This shows that some rich people have Ubuntu and still share their riches to help
those in needy. Even after the recent unrests in the country, rich people donated to the needy and
contributed in rebuilding the country.

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4. “60% of the world’s cobalt is mined in the DRC. Significant amounts of this is mined under
appalling conditions often by child labourers.” My personal opinion on this statement is most
closely described by:
a. What’s cobalt got to do with to me?
b. The DRC is a long way from where I live so I don’t really care.
c. This is just a fact of global supply chains and necessary for global economic growth, which is
in everyone’s best interest.
d. I wonder who is profiting out of this?
e. It breaks my heart to see children exploited. This is morally wrong and must not be allowed.

Choice now: E

Choice in assignment 1: E

Notes: The difficulty of tasks and harsh working conditions create a number of problems such as
premature ageing, malnutrition, depression, drug dependency etc. From disadvantaged backgrounds,
minority groups, or abducted from their families, these children have no protection. Their employers do
whatever necessary to make them completely invisible and are thus able to exercise an absolute control
over them. These children work in degrading conditions, undermining all the principles and fundamental
rights based in human nature. Additionally, a child who works will not be able to have a normal
education and will be doomed to become an illiterate adult, having no possibility to grow in his or her
professional and social life. In certain cases, child labour also endangers a child’s dignity and morals,
especially when sexual exploitation is involved, such as prostitution and child pornography.
Furthermore, a child who works will be more exposed to malnutrition. These children are often victims
of physical, mental, and sexual violence. Therefore no country should tolerate child labour as it is also an
infringement of human rights.

5. “It is estimated that humans are consuming natural resource at a rate that is 30% above the
renewal rate. If we continue to consume in this way we are likely to suffer dire consequences
which could include extinction.” My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described
by:
a. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast, but I don’t think this is a problem as there
is plenty of time to find technological solutions to problems that emerge
b. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast. The first priority in solving this is to put the
brakes on human population growth.
c. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast. The first priority in solving this is for rich
people to reduce their consumption significantly.
d. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast. And frankly I don’t see any solution
because increasing consumption is the basis of our economic growth.
e. I don’t believe this tale of doom.

Choice now: B

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Choice in assignment 1: B

Notes: The way we use resources provokes often irreversible ecological change. Extraction and
processing of non-regenerative raw materials are often energy intensive activities involving large scale
interventions in ecosystems and the water balance and result in air, soil and water pollution. Even the
extraction and production of renewable resources often involve extensive use of energy, materials, and
chemicals and in some cases water; and all this translates into pollution. Greenfield land is often
transformed to create arable land and in some cases whole ecosystems are destroyed in the process. In
short, raw material extraction and processing always impact on the environment, resulting as they do in
soil degradation, water shortages, biodiversity loss, damage to ecosystem functions and global warming
exacerbation. And that’s not all. Therefor it is our responsibility to ensure that we preserve and conserve
our natural resources for the betterment of our environment and wellbeing and sustainability of life.
And putting brakes on human population can somehow remedy this crisis I believe. Humans should put
the brakes on human population growth as population growth is one of the major contributors to the
overuse and exploitation of natural resources.

6. “Imagine you find out that some students get together, buy good assignments from previous
years and submit them as their own.” My personal opinion about this practice is most closely
described by:
a. I have heard that Unisa might be using sophisticated plagiarism detecting software like
Turnitin and, if this is the case, the chances of getting caught are just too great. I don't want
to get into trouble.
b. Not only will I participate, I am going to be the one who sells assignments next year for cash.
c. I am not sure what the rules say but if this is against the rules I won’t do it.
d. I am not sure what the right thing to do here is or what is expected of me now that I know
this?
e. The problem with cheating is that it undermines everyone's qualification, not just those who
are participating
f. Someone needs to report this because it is intellectual fraud, and that someone is going to
be me.

Choice now: F

Choice in assignment 1: F

Notes: It is unethical and morally wrong to cheat and lie, one should be committed to their studies
meaning that they should prioritize, plan and make schedules to ensure that their work is properly done,
on time, well researched and done with complete honesty. One should always ensure to avoid rushing
when doing their academic work and they would get tempted to copy directly from sources committing
plagiarism which has serious consequences and may result in their work being discredited and ending up
failing. When one commits the act of plagiarism, it also undermines the integrity of their work and
proves them incompetent and incapable of doing their work honestly. No matter the UNISA Policy
regarding plagiarism, as a student it is my duty and responsibility that I plan a schedule for my studies,

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manage my time and always ensure to submit my own on time. It is unethical and immoral to cheat,
whether you are caught or not. It is my duty and responsibility not to cheat or lie not to myself or to my
lecture about my work. I should be honest at all times. This is for the greater good for my studies and for
me personally. If I practice good ethics now, I will not have a problem being ethical and moral in the
workplace in the future but if I cheat, I will always be irresponsible and will not have any morals or
respect for my job or for other people and I will be bound to make many mistakes in life. This kind of
unethical behaviour should be reported and not be condoned.

7. “It’s a fact! You cannot expect to have economic growth when there is the threat of expropriation
without compensation.” (van der Merwe) My personal opinion on this statement is most closely
described by:
a. Obviously!
b. I don’t know about economic growth, but those who wrote the Constitution of South Africa
knew what they were doing so private property is sacred and must be respected at all cost.
c. The notion of private property is a western individualist notion.
d. Hmmmm …. You have to admit that the economies of the north grew very handsomely on
the basis of expropriation without compensation? So this is not an immutable natural law.
It's just how the rules are currently structured right?

Choice now: F

Choice in assignment 1: F

Notes:

8. “Even before COVID, one out of every five South Africans lived below the food poverty line.” My
personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by:
a. Who cares?
b. If population growth rates of the poor were not so high they wouldn’t be so poor.
c. If they worked harder, they wouldn't be so poor.
d. This is sad, but to be honest, it is not going to stop me from focusing on my own wellbeing
first.
e. I think that we must all strive to eliminate poverty together.

Choice now: E

Choice in assignment 1: F

Notes: Historically, South Africa has struggled to aid its most economically vulnerable citizens. According
to the most recent government analysis, almost half of the adult population is living under the poverty
line—an alarming figure. It seems apparent that this South African poverty crisis would be seen on
nearly every level of society. Sadly, this widespread poverty has had a notable impact on which
necessary resources are available to people. While electricity infrastructure is fairly widespread,
between 28% and 30% of poor households lack access to water and sanitation services. As is relatively

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common in cases of inequality, the most vulnerable frequently lack access to basic necessities, making
their struggles far more urgent. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic is poised to exacerbate South African
poverty. The World Bank has predicted that while the pandemic will increase poverty worldwide, the
hardest-hit region will be Sub-Saharan Africa. Although South Africa has been relatively spared from the
worst of COVID-19 on a health level, the poverty-inducing effects of the pandemic are daunting—it is
projected that some 23 million South Africans will be pushed into poverty. Beyond the immediate
tragedy, this decline will present new challenges. In order to protect them, governments will need to
find new ways to offer meaningful support throughout the crisis. Therefore we must all strive to
eliminate poverty by using our resources wisely and by sharing with one another throughout these
trying times.

9. “If the present growth trends in world population, industrialization, pollution, food production,
and resource depletion continue unchanged, the limits to growth on this planet will be reached
sometime within the next one hundred years. The most probable result will be a rather sudden
and uncontrollable decline in both population and industrial capacity.” (The Limits to Growth,
1972) My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by:
a. I don’t believe this tale of doom.
b. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast, but I don’t think this is a problem as there
is plenty of time to find technological solutions to problems that emerge
c. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast. The first priority in solving this is to put the
brakes on human population growth.
d. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast. The first priority in solving this is for rich
people to reduce their consumption significantly.
e. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast. The first priority is for poor people to not
have more kids than they can afford.
f. Yes we are consuming natural resources too fast. And frankly I don’t see any solution
because increasing consumption is the basis of our economic growth.

Choice now: C

Choice in assignment 1: C

Notes:

10. “Why do some people have to be miserably poor in order that others can be extravagantly rich? I
speak for all the children in the world who don't even have a piece of bread.” (Fidel Castro) My
personal opinion on this statement, is most closely described by:
a. Who cares what Castro said? He was an ideological dinosaur anyway.
b. Wealth and poverty are unrelated phenomena.
c. Well perhaps the rich should just stop all their charity and we’ll see where this leaves the
ungrateful poor.

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 d. Well on a simple technical level, the answer to this is because poverty and wealth are both
relative so it’s just not possible for there to be someone rich without someone who is
relatively poor.
e. I think this is the wrong question. The right question is: “How do we prevent people being
extravagantly rich while others are miserably poor?”

Choice now: C

Choice in assignment 1: E

Notes: I might have changed my option but I still believe that hard work does indeed pay off. If you work
hard and dedicate yourself in what you do, you are bound to reap the fruits of your hard work however,
due to the circumstances we live in, we live in the world where money makes the world go round,
where money has power and people are greedy,. Sometimes the hard work of other people is credited
to others. It is a sad truth that there are a lot people who work hard but never get recognised for it or
never reap the fruits of their hard work due to the selfishness of others and corruption and fraud from
those in power. With this, I still encourage people to work hard. But also we should also practice Ubuntu
and help one another, we should share with the less fortunate, no one should suffer starvation and
poverty.

11. “Investment under neo-colonialism increases rather than decreases the gap between rich and
poor countries.” (Kwame Nkrumah) My personal opinion on this statement, is most closely
described by:
a. Get over colonialism now!!!!
b. Its irresponsible messages like these that frighten foreign investors away from Africa.
c. Colonialism died off decades ago. Why are you still talking about this?
d. Absolutely. As Thomas Sankara said: “debt is a cleverly managed re-conquest of Africa”
e. This is all managed through ratings agencies who have much more say in the decisions a
government takes than the citizens of the country.

Choice now: E

Choice in assignment 1: E

Notes:

12. “Every day some 20,000 children die prematurely from poverty related causes, mostly treatable
diseases.” My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by:
a. Who cares?
b. It’s hard to say it, but given the rising human population, perhaps this is a blessing in
disguise for the human species as a whole

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 c. It’s hard to say it, but this just means less people competing with me for scarce
opportunities and resources.
d. This is morally wrong, but practically, I think that it would cost too much money to solve
e. It is morally unacceptable for a single child to die of a preventable disease and we should
collectively fix this irrespective of the cost.

Choice now: E

Choice in assignment 1: E

Notes: It is our duty as a nation to ensure that the children are properly taken care of, that their health
and wellbeing becomes our first priority and ensure that their nutritional needs are catered form no
child should die of malnutrition and other treatable diseases because of poverty. Every child should have
access to proper medical care and has a right to life and therefore it is our social responsibility ensure
that our nation has healthy children. The poor and the rich should have equal opportunities and access
to healthcare. Together with the government we can ensure health and security and wellbeing of our
children. It is unacceptable for a single child to die of a preventable disease and we should collectively fix
this irrespective of the cost.

13. “In the 2018/2019 financial year, Bob van Dijk, the CEO of Naspers earned a total remuneration
(salary, incentives and options) of R 1.9 billion.” My personal opinion on this statement is most
closely described by:
a. Good for him – he worked hard to earn this.
b. The only problem I have with this is that this money is in van Dijk’s bank account and not in
mine.
c. No problem with this. I'm sure van Dijk donates huge amounts to charity.
d. I think that it is morally wrong for anyone to earn that much money.
e. I think that active steps should be taken to correct such immoral executive remuneration
practices

Choice now: E

Choice in assignment 1: E

Notes: I think Bob Van Dijk remuneration of 1.9 billion is a bizarre amount of money. Personally, 1.9
billion is too much to pay a CEO, But I also believe that hard work and education as well as all the
achievement Bob has brought into the company must be rewarded fairly, but 1, 9 billion is questionable
taking into consideration that he had support from lower level employees to lead the company to the
position it is today and those employees are not fairly rewarded and recognized for their involvement.
The reason I don’t support such huge playout is because if organisations are making profit it should be
shared amongst everyone who contributed and not only to the executives and CEO’s. The company
should also show that the handwork of employees is valued and not only of the CEO. The issue is not
based on whether the CEO deserves the salaries they are getting or not, the issue is that employees are
not valued in a way they should be. Let’s take the example of Covid 19, some employees had to go out

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there and work to ensure that companies are realising their main goals which is profit, which means
employees are putting their lives on danger for these companies, but at the end CEO’s who can work
remotely from their homes or their offices are the ones who will get recognitions and benefits. All the
achievement and skills of Bob Van Dijk is highly recognise, but the money is way too much and I believe
that corrective steps should be taken to correct such imbalance and unfairness remuneration. Although
it may be argued that Van Dijk’s salary (in fact executive remuneration in general) is out of control. It
may be argued that it is leading to a great deal of social unease and if we continue to allow the gap
between rich and poor to widen, we are going to have more and more social unrest. And social unrest is
very indiscriminate in who it harms. At the end of the day, everyone has their opinions about this and no
opinion is wrong or right. Van Dijk worked hard for his money and there is no reason we should be
critising him. He is not the only highly paid CEO in the country, at least he earned his money legally and
we must accept that it is entirely up to him what he does with it. We should not force the rich to donate
or contribute to their poor, they should do that to their own accord. Not every rich person is greedy and
ruthless, some have Ubuntu and are just as considerate of the less fortunate

14. “Unless fossil-fuel use slows dramatically, the earth’s average temperature could rise by six
degrees Celsius in the next 100 years.” My personal opinion on this statement is most closely
described by:
a. Who cares?
b. I don’t believe this climate change nonsense
c. Six degrees will make winters much more bearable to me personally
d. I’m a bit concerned about this, but there is nothing that I can do about it
e. I’m a bit concerned about this, but why should I invest my personal time, effort or money in
solving a general social problem
f. I think that individually we can and should strive to solve this problem for the greater good

Choice now: E

Choice in assignment 1: E

Notes: The well-being of our climate is in our hands and it is our responsibility to take care of our
climate to avoid climate change. It is evident that human activities are the main causes of climate
change. Activities such as deforestation, urbanisation and industrialisation are human activities that
have been identified as the, major and main factors that contribute to climate change resulting in global
warming and therefore it is up to us as humans to fix this as we are the main cause. Burning of fossil fuel
should be reduced; deforestation limited, and industrialisation maintained and industries must be away
from residential areas. Climate change does not only affect humans but also has great negative impact
on nature and the environment and on the animals as well.

15. “Austerity: the billionaires in business have convinced the millionaires in government that the
working poor are the root cause of all problems ” My personal opinion of what should be done, is
most closely described by:
a. As Julius Malema says: “Bloody agents”

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 b. And then the Houses of Parliament get burned down because ‘the root cause of all
problems’ was solved by the millionaires in government’ retrenching security guards.
c. And then the billionaires in business declare the millionaires in government incompetent
when the Houses of Parliament get burned down.
d. This is typical labour union clap-trap.
e. As Bill Gates says: “If you were born poor it’s not your mistake. But if you die poor it’s your
mistake.”

Choice now: E

Choice in assignment 1: C

Notes:

16. "Save the rhino!!" My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by:
a. Why?
b. Let the people who want to use this resource pay to protect it.
c. We have bigger problems than worrying about rhinos.
d. We must save the rhinos for our children.
e. We must save the rhinos because it is the right thing to do.

Choice now: D

Choice in assignment 1: E

Notes: I strongly believe that no live is greater than the other. Rhinos are part of our African pride, part
of the African heritage. Many nations come to African countries just to experience the beauty of the
African nature and therefore it is our duty and responsibility as Africans to conserve and protect of
nature. Rhino pouching is one of the major crises that our country is facing and this does not only affect
or impact only the environment but also our country’s economy and therefore it is our environmental
responsibility as Africans to protect the Rhinos before they become extinct. We should work together
and report cruel activities such as Rhino poaching. We should strive to protect our nature and
environment for future generations to experience. We should save our rhinos for our future generations
to see, after all, they are part of our African heritage.

17. “In order to have the continued opportunity to express their ‘generosity,’ the oppressors must
perpetuate injustice as well.” (Paulo Freire) My personal opinion on this statement is most closely
described by:
a. This is crazy ‘commie’ nonsense from Freire – it’s a disgrace that Unisa allows this rubbish to
appear in its official study material.
b. This is rubbish - if it were not for the essential goodness of the wealthy, the lives of the poor
would be so much worse than they already are.
c. So let me get this straight – Freire is saying that in order for some to continue being
generous, wealth AND poverty need to be sustained? I’m going to have to think about this.

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 d. Freire is absolutely right - all this ‘generosity’ just makes rich people look like the heroes
when actually they are the villains.
e. How can you possibly say something as ungrateful as option d?

Choice now: D

Choice in assignment 1: D

Notes:

18. “In capitalism, profit happens when the capitalist pays labour x for their labour which is worth
x+p. p then is profit.” My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by:
a. So what you are saying is that profit is the result of expropriation without compensation? I
can see the truth in this when I look at who gets rich and who gets poor.
b. That is a really interesting perspective which I hadn’t thought about before.
c. Rubbish.
d. Rubbish. Profit comes from innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit.
e. This is fine - without profit there is no capitalism and it is capitalism that bring wealth to
humanity as a whole.

Choice now: E

Choice in assignment 1: B

Notes:

19. “I didn’t join the struggle to be poor.” (Smuts Ngonyama) My personal opinion on this statement is
most closely described by:
a. Me neither.
b. No one joins the struggle to be poor.
c. It is this sort of attitude that has led to widespread corruption.
d. This is counter-revolutionary – you don’t solve oppression by becoming an oppressor.

Choice now: C

Choice in assignment 1: D

Notes: Many people joined the struggle for the freedom of our country, many lost their lives and they
ensured that we get the freedom therefore I honestly think it is immoral and selfish for one even to
utter such statements, everyone should join the struggle for the right and ethical reasons, not to gain
riches, that is unethical and immoral and is one of the reasons for the high increase of corruption in our
country. People think that because they joined the struggle, they have the right to misuse their positions
and authority for their selfish gains. That is not right and is unfair to other freedom fighters of our
country.

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20. “Greed is good” (Gordon Gekko) My personal opinion of what should be done, is most closely
described by:
a. It’s not good or bad. It’s just how things are.
b. Absolutely! If it wasn’t for greed we would never achieve anything.
c. I’m not sure. Sometimes I think that it’s good. At other times I think that it’s bad.
d. It depends on how you define “greed”.
e. Absolutely not! Greed is bad. It leads to much pain and suffering.

Choice now: A

Choice in assignment 1: D

Notes: The majority of us do not want to be labeled as "greedy." Nobody wants to be the person who
stuffs his plate while leaving others hungry, or the person who waits for relatives to die so he can inherit
their estate. Greed exposes a darker aspect of human nature. When a person is concerned about their
personal security, their anxiety may manifest as greed. This anxiety could be the result of trauma or
neglect. A person who does not have enough to eat as a child may hoard food and overindulge as an
adult. Taking more than you need may not seem bad, but greed can be harmful to others. Consider what
happens when a major storm is predicted by the weather service. People panic and clear the store
shelves instead of buying what they need. People who arrive late are unable to purchase anything
because there is none left. Greed may be good for the economy, but it does little for the people who
suffer as a result of it. In general, when people become obsessed with hoarding objects or satisfying a
desire for more stuff, they miss out on the richness of life. The individual will almost never be satisfied,
and once they have what they want, they will be on the lookout for the next big thing. Many people
realize they are being greedy and hide their true identity. A person who seeks power may become a
politician. To accomplish this, he may have to deceive others and create a persona that will allow him to
obtain what he desires. He may claim–and even believe–that he wishes to assist others. He may
champion the underdog and speak out against the power-hungry despite his own desire for power.
Greed can be beneficial in some situations. One advantage is that it serves as a form of motivation.
Greed motivates people to strive for better social and economic outcomes than they currently have.
Altruism is a more powerful force for positive change, but it takes time to develop. Greed and
consumerism go hand in hand. Whether we like it or not, our society is built on and supported by greedy
behavior. The desire for more and better things has propelled societies to unprecedented heights of
achievement. Societies that attempt to function without greed and hierarchy disintegrate. Having a
hierarchy naturally leads to inequality, but people in positions of power frequently take actions that
improve our lives.

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 Summary
Number unchanged: I had 13 unchanged answers
Number changed: I have 7 changed answers.

Conclusion
To conclude, looking at the preceding sections of this portfolio, the most important things which I
learned in this module were:
This was indeed a crazy module. Form doing this module, I have learned a lot of important things about
how people perceive greed as individuals. I have learned how greed impacts our daily lives, the lives of
those around use and the lives we wish to have. Doing this module has had me curious on how people
perceive greed. Upon discussions with fellow students, I was shocked to see how other students
responded to some statements. I had come to my attention that most of the students though that rich
people are greedy and inconsiderate of the poor. One student even accused Van Dijk of doing immoral
activities in assignment 2. Doing assignment one was a fun experience especially now that I look at the
choices I first chose in assignment one. With the knowledge I gained I now understand that we have to
be considerate of other people, the environment and the animals we live with. In assignment two, there
was a discussion about the Rhinos. I was shocked by how some students responded where the question
of saving the Rhinos was concerned. Being a person who adores animals and nature, I was excited to see
a statement about Rhinos because I got to share what I feel and my opinions about what should be done
to preserve our nature. I learned about the importance of the Rhinos in the balancing of the ecosystem.
I was not aware of some of the roles that animals like Rhinos play in the ecosystem. I also got to
research about the economic impact that rhino poaching has on our economy. Assignment two was a
heated discussion as we got to discuss the earnings of Van Dijk. In the discussion, some students were
not happy with the amount that Van Dijk earns saying that it is too much. I strongly believe that
everyone should earn according to the amount of work they put in. I learned that people can be jealous
of those who have luxuries. Some people do not understand that not all people become rich overnight
of by doing immoral activities or by being involved in criminal activities. Some people work hard to earn
the money they have, they invest time and energy and dedicate their lives to their success. Greed and
poverty, poverty is not a choice but a circumstance that some people cannot control. People living in
poverty are people who were mostly deprived of opportunities. Most of them never had an opportunity
to access education which is why they find it hard to makes ends meet and therefore it is not only the
responsibility of the rich to support and contribute to poverty alleviation. It is a social responsibility to
care for one another and share the little we have. All in all this module has taught is how to be
responsible, how to be cautious of the quantity of resources I used in order to maintain sustainability. I
was also taught the importance of life, that there is no life that is greater than the other, all life is
important and worth a living. I was taught the importance of saving and maintaining the resources I
have and share with others where possible. Most of all I learned that we all have different opinions
when certain things are concerned but we should respect others views and opinions even though they
may differ from those of our own.

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