The original definition of "passion" referred to intense experiences of suffering or submission. It has to do with a lack of control over one’s emotions or circumstances. 

In the early modern period (1500-1800), the passions of pride and revenge were seen by philosophers and the church as destabilizing forces. Greed was seen as more predictable, because it could channel destructive passions into productive activities, such as trade and commerce, contributing to societal stability. 

Adam Smith framed greed as self-interest, and described it as a driver of progress. Greed was reframed from a moral vice to a rational and virtuous pursuit. Self-interest is rooted in suffering and submission. A reframed painting has the same picture. Only the frame has changed.