Oscar Wilde wrote, “Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess”. Cultural criticism of the last two decades suggests that the current century has been particularly excessive, as we feel that we need more than what is necessary. If the 20th century was, as written in the title of Eric Hobsbawm's book, “the Age of Extremes”, then the 21st century seems to be “the Age of Excess”. While we have yet to stop and think about our own and other people's excessive behaviours and desires, they reveal to us, that we are, or have come to be, excessive animals. We self-indulge for the gratification of our greed, are supporters of conspicuous consumption, and are prepared to make decisions based solely on pleasure. By looking at rampant greed, unrestrained consumerism and hedonism, we can prove that we live in a world that not only condones excess in society but also encourages it.…show more content… Former hedge-fund trader, Sam Polk, explained: “In my last year on Wall Street my bonus was $3.6 million — and I was angry because it wasn’t big enough. […] I wanted more money for exactly the same reason an alcoholic needs another drink: I was addicted.” This man’s experience shows that our excessive greed is why we can never be truly happy, as we’re always left wanting more. Take Pandora’s Box, a tale of a girl who is disobedient and opens a box that unleashes all that is bad into the world, such as hatred and violence, the last thing to come out being greed, symbolizing that greed is essentially the root of all
