It’s time for greatness—not for greed. It’s a time for idealism—not ideology. It is a time not just for compassionate words, but compassionate action.
—Marian Wright Edelman (b.1939) American Civil Regrets Advocate, Humanitarian, Lawyer
The average man does not know what to do with this life, yet wants another one which will last forever.
—Anatole France (1844–1924) French Novelist
You show me a capitalist, and I’ll show you a bloodsucker.
—Malcolm X (1925–65) American Civil Rights Leader
Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself are much condemned to have an itching palm.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
We’re all born brave, trusting, and greedy, and most of us remain greedy.
—Mignon McLaughlin (1913–83) American Journalist, Author
For greed, all nature is too little.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
It is greed to do all the talking but not to want to listen at all.
—Democritus (c.460–c.370 BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
The wish to acquire more is admittedly a very natural and common thing; and when men succeed in this they are always praised rather than condemned. But when they lack the ability to do so and yet want to acquire more at all costs, they deserve condemnation for their mistakes.
—Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527) Florentine Political Philosopher
There is much suffering in the world—physical, material, mental. The suffering of some can be blamed on the greed of others. The material and physical suffering is suffering from hunger, from homelessness, from all kinds of diseases. But the greatest suffering is being lonely, feeling unloved, having no one. I have come more and more to realize that it is being unwanted that is the worst disease that any human being can ever experience.
—Mother Teresa (1910–97) Roman Catholic Missionary, Nun
Big mouthfuls often choke.
—Italian Proverb
Experience demands that man is the only animal which devours his own kind, for I can apply no milder term to the general prey of the rich on the poor.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
He who distinguishes the true savor of his food can never be a glutton; he who does not cannot be otherwise.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
Hell has three gates: lust, anger, and greed
—The Bhagavad Gita Hindu Scripture
Greed is a fat demon with a small mouth and whatever you feed it is never enough.
—Janwillem van de Wetering (1931–2008) Dutch Crime Novelist, Author
Greed, like the love of comfort, is a kind of fear.
—Cyril Connolly (1903–74) British Literary Critic, Writer
The avarice person is ever in want; let your desired aim have a fixed limit.
—Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65–8 BCE) Roman Poet
If your desires be endless, your cares and fears will be so, too.
—Thomas Fuller (1608–61) English Cleric, Historian
Satiety is a mongrel that barks at the heels of plenty.
—Minna Antrim (1861–1950) American Writer, Epigrammist
It is not the want, but rather abundance that creates avarice.
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–92) French Essayist
For at least another hundred years we must pretend to ourselves and to every one that fair is foul and foul is fair; for foul is useful and fair is not. Avarice and usury and precaution must be our gods for a little longer still.
—John Maynard Keynes (1883–1946) English Economist
You must lay aside your greed; have no unworthy motive in your desire to become rich and powerful. It is legitimate and right to desire riches, if you want them for the sake of your soul, but not if you desire them for the lists of the flesh.
—Wallace Wattles (1860–1911) American New Thought Author
Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
Avarice, the spur of industry.
—David Hume (1711–76) Scottish Philosopher, Historian
The greed of gain has no time or limit to its capaciousness. It’s one object is to produce and consume. It has pity neither for beautiful nature nor for living human beings. It is ruthlessly ready without a moment’s hesitation to crush beauty and life out of them, molding them into money.
—Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) Bengali Poet, Polymath
Avarice is the vice of declining years.
—George Bancroft (1800–91) American Historian, Politician
There is no fire like passion, there is no shark like hatred, there is no snare like folly, there is no torrent like greed.
—The Dhammapada Buddhist Anthology of Verses
I have news for the forces of greed and the defenders of the status quo; your time has come and gone. It’s time for change in America.
—Bill Clinton (b.1946) American Head of State, Lawyer, Public Speaker
Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.
—Erich Fromm (1900–80) German-American Psychoanalyst, Social Philosopher
What kind of society isn’t structured on greed? The problem of social organization is how to set up an arrangement under which greed will do the least harm; capitalism is that kind of a system.
—Milton Friedman (1912–2006) American Economist
Avarice, in old age, is foolish; for what can be more absurd than to increase our provisions for the road the nearer we approach to our journey’s end?
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
Men hate the individual whom they call avaricious only because nothing can be gained from him.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
To greed, all nature is insufficient.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
Avarice is generally the last passion of those lives of which the first part has been squandered in pleasure, and the second devoted to ambition. He that sinks under the fatigue of getting wealth, lulls his age with the milder business of saving it.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
To hazard much to get much has more of avarice than wisdom.
—William Penn (1644–1718) American Entrepreneur, Political leader, Philosopher
Avarice has ruined more souls than extravagance.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
Worldly desires are like sunbeams in a dark room. They seem solid until you try to grasp one.
—Nachman of Breslov (1772–1810) Ukrainian Jewish Rabbi
Wealth is like sea-water; the more we drink, the thirstier we become; and the same is true of fame.
—Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) German Philosopher
So for a good old-gentlemanly vice, I think I must take up with avarice.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
The lusts and greeds of the body scandalize the Soul; but it has to come to heel.
—Logan Pearsall Smith (1865–1946) American-British Essayist, Bibliophile
Nothing retains less of desire in art, in science, than this will to industry, booty, possession.
—Andre Breton (1896–1966) French Poet, Essayist, Critic
Wars and revolutions and battles are due simply and solely to the body and its desires. All wars are undertaken for the acquisition of wealth; and the reason why we have to acquire wealth is the body, because we are slaves in its service.
—Socrates (469BCE–399BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Be glad that you’re greedy; the national economy would collapse if you weren’t.
—Mignon McLaughlin (1913–83) American Journalist, Author
The point is that you can’t be too greedy.
—Donald Trump (b.1946) American Businessperson, Head of State
Curst greed of gold, what crimes thy tyrant power has caused.
—Virgil (70–19 BCE) Roman Poet
He who is greedy is always in want.
—Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65–8 BCE) Roman Poet
Oh, the jealousy, the greed is the unraveling. It’s the unraveling and it undoes all the joy that could be.
—Joni Mitchell (b.1943) Canadian Singer, Songwriter