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To me, greed stems from the illusion that "there is not enough". There is not enough money, there is not enough time, there is not enough love, there is not enough food, etc...
What is enough? When does one have "enough" money? Obviously, we need a certain amount of food to survive - there are things that we physically and emotionally HAVE to have for survival. Greed implies excess.
Think of examples of Jesus. Not that I'm religious mind you, at least in the common sense. But here's a guy that had it all figured out. "Give us this day, our daily bread". Just give me what I need to survive, and I'll be happy. He didn't NEED a sports car to be happy (not that they were available) but you can see my point.
I don't personally live by what I'm saying, I like having nice things, lots of money, a big house, etc...but I can tell you truthfully - and don't take it as boasting...I make well over six figures a year, have PLENTY of money saved, no debt, a nice house a beautiful girlfriend, etc. But none of these things, by themselves are what truly make me happy. No, I don't want to give them up because they're "comfortable"...But to answer your question:
I think greed is a manifestation of our desire for happiness. That is the necessity (don't know about racoons and shiny objects...) of feeling happy. We hoard things in our search for the things that make us happy. I don't know if there is a universal list of things that make humans happy, I suppose it depends on the individual.
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My life's work is to bridge the gap between that which is perceived by the mind and that which is quantifiable by words and numbers.
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