Greed is thinking that you deserve more than you are actually worth. See Wall St. bankers for that one, they're prime examples. Instead of making 4 billion betting against the stock market, don't you think it would have made more sense to sound the alarm and try to head it off before the economy took a bath?
Greed is also what makes people look down their noses at others. Why? Because they think that because of their hard work and abilities, that everyone else has the same deal.
Trouble is, most don't. I'm an example of that, because I was orphaned at 8, and in foster care from 12-16 and back with my grandparents at 16, and I joined the Navy at 18.
Even though I got good grades and had a decent amount of participation in outside activities, community college would have been all I could get, so I joined the military.
Incidentally, I've never seen more than 37,000/year in my life, never been middle class, but I'm happy with that. Why? I don't need more crap in my life than what I've got. A good quality racing bicycle, television and internet.
Even though I could make 50,000/year, I'm pretty happy living on my pension. Why? Simple, I've got more time to think about stuff because I'm not caught up in the rat race. I have enough to eat, occasionally have a few beers to drink, and a decent small house to live in.
Yes, I could have more, but it would take my focus off of what is really important........making friends, learning new things, and teaching new things to others.
Yeshua stated that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter Heaven. Wanna know why? Because in the process of having a whole bunch of material crap, you tend to take your focus off of God and place it on things.
Greed is basically another form of idolatry, because you're worshiping objects and money, not God, which is kinda why rich people tend to look down on others who are less fortunate.
They're not God centered, they're object and money centered.