Quotes by famous people, credited to who said them. Your own quotes must not match any of these. More are added all the time. 1,161,747 quotes Who coined it · How we decide
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“Greater intelligence, wealth and opportunity, for example, allow a person to achieve ends he could not rationally contemplate otherwise.”
John Rawls (1921–2002) said by 2002 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Why did the hunters in the Wealth of Nations exchange beavers for deer?”
Joan Robinson (1903–1983) said by 1983 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Your system of producing wealth, factories, mines, cooperatives will fall apart, like everything else, under the attacks of the people, in the delirious, popular boulimia. [101]”
Louis-Ferdinand Céline (1894–1961) said by 1961 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Boomer Envy: Envy of material wealth and long-range material security accrued by older members of the baby boom generation by virtue of fortunate births.”
Douglas Coupland (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When I talk about trade and industry, it is not because I think trade and industry are more important than social reform. It is purely because I know that you must make wealth in the country before you can distribute it.”
David Lloyd George (1863–1945) first seen 1908 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech in Manchester (21 April 1908), quoted in Better Times: Speeches by the Right Hon. D. Lloyd George, M.P., Chancellor of the Exchequer (1910), p. 46
“The question will be asked, "Should 500 men, ordinary men, chosen accidentally from among the unemployed, override the judgment...of millions of people who are engaged in the industry which makes the wealth of the country?”
David Lloyd George (1863–1945) first seen 1909 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On the House of Lords, speech in Newcastle (9 October 1909), quoted in The Times (11 October 1909), p. 6
“[S]urplus wealth should be considered as a sacred trust, to be administered during the lives of its owners, by them as trustees, for the good of the community in which and from which it had been acquired.”
Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919) said by 1919 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Surely then some distinction between the different kinds of labour, with reference to their different effects on national wealth, must be admitted to be not only useful, but necessary; and if so, the question is what this distinction should be, and where the line between the different kinds of labour should be drawn.”
Thomas Robert Malthus (1766–1834) said by 1834 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The effect therefore on national wealth of those classes of unproductive consumers which are supported by taxation, must be very various in different countries, and must depend entirely upon the powers of production, and upon the manner in which the taxes are raised in each country.”
Thomas Robert Malthus (1766–1834) said by 1834 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“On the whole it may be observed, that the specific use of a body of unproductive consumers, is to give encouragement to wealth by maintaining such a balance between produce and consumption as will give the greatest exchangeable value to the results of the national industry.”
Thomas Robert Malthus (1766–1834) said by 1834 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“And thus methinks should men of judgment frame Their means of traffic from the vulgar trade, And, as their wealth increaseth, so inclose Infinite riches in a little room.”
Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593) first seen 1530 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Barabas, Act I, scene i. Paraphrasing John Heywood, "Here lyeth muche rychnesse in lytell space," in The Foure PP (c. 1530).
“Excess of wealth is cause of covetousness.”
Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593) said by 1593 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“And at the chime of the city clock Put up your road block. Hang on to your crown. For a stone in a tin can Is wealth to the city man Who leaves his armour down.”
Nick Drake (1948–1974) said by 1974 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When 1% of the population owns more wealth than the bottom 90%, the last people you should be asking for economic advice are the people who created that situation.”
Marianne Williamson (born 1952) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Twitter (26 Nov 2019)
“What is Friendship? Something deep That the heart can spend and keep: Wealth that greatens while we give, Praise that heartens us to live.”
Henry van Dyke (1852–1933) first seen 1914 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Talisman, st. 2 (January 21, 1914).
“Islam has been reborn, in part because of the new material wealth acquired by the Islamic countries, but mainly because of people's conviction that Islam can provide a valid spiritual foundation to their lives. Such a foundation seems to have eluded old Europe, which, despite its enduring political and economic power, seems to be on the road to decline and fall.”
Pope Benedict XVI (1927–2022) said by 2022 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The theater is the only branch of art much cared for by people of wealth; like canasta, it does away with the bother of talk after dinner.”
Mary McCarthy (1912–1989) first seen 1950 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Up the Ladder from Charm to Vogue", p. 185. First published in two parts in The Reporter (July 18 and August 1, 1950)
“The man who worships mere wealth is a snob.”
Anthony Trollope (1815–1882) first seen 1879 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Thackeray (1879), Ch. 2
“There is no road to wealth so easy and respectable as that of matrimony.”
Anthony Trollope (1815–1882) said by 1882 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We remain dedicated to accomplishing greater social justice through a fairer sharing of wealth and opportunity. We will stay the course, because it is right for Fiji.”
Laisenia Qarase (1941–2020) said by 2020 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There are daily acts of violence to the general public and in all levels of government we have witnessed corrupt practices of bribery, extortion, misuse of public funds, abuse of office and all the pervasive singling out of one race. But in reality, to use it as an excuse so that a select few will benefit in wealth and position.”
Epeli Ganilau (1951–2023) said by 2023 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We are squandering our wealth in many respects, to the extent that we persist in our imperial delusions, we're also going to squander our freedom.”
Andrew Bacevich (born 1947) first seen 2008 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Moyer's Journal, 2008 August 15.
“We deemed the secret lost, the spirit gone, Which spake in Greek simplicity of thought, And in the forms of gods and heroes wrought Eternal beauty from the sculptured stone — A higher charm than modern culture won, With all the wealth of metaphysic lore, Gifted to analyze, dissect explore.”
Margaret Fuller (1810–1850) said by 1850 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The Presence all thy fancies supersedes, All that is done which thou wouldst seek in deeds, The wealth obliterates all seeming needs.”
Margaret Fuller (1810–1850) said by 1850 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The real wealth of the Nation lies in the resources of the earth — soil, water, forests, minerals, and wildlife. To utilize them for present needs while insuring their preservation for future generations requires a delicately balanced and continuing program, based on the most extensive research. Their administration is not properly, and cannot be, a matter of politics.”
Rachel Carson (1907–1964) first seen 1953 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Letter to the editor, Washington Post (1953); quoted in Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson (1999) edited by Linda Lear, p. 99
“The brutality of our corporate executioners grows by the day. They will stop at nothing, including wholesale murder, to consolidate power and amass greater profits. Blinded by hubris, driven by greed, disdainful of democracy, foolishly believing their wealth will protect them, they will herd us over the cliff unless they are overthrown”
Chris Hedges (born 1956) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“[pp 232-233] The message of the consumer society, pumped out over flat screens... is shrill and unrelenting: You are a failure. Pop culture celebrates those who wallow in power, wealth and self-obsession, and perpetuates the lie that if you work hard and are clever, you can become a "success."...”
Chris Hedges (born 1956) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The criminal ruling class has all of us locked in its death grip. It cannot be reformed. It has abolished the rule of law. It obscures and falsifies the truth. It seeks the consolidation of its obscene wealth and power. And so, to quote the Queen of Hearts, metaphorically of course, I say, "Off with their heads.”
Chris Hedges (born 1956) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The desire for wealth is nearly universal, and none can say it is not laudable, provided the possessor of it accepts its responsibilities, and uses it as a friend to humanity.”
P. T. Barnum (1810–1891) said by 1891 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Universal-suffrage democracy may have been a good idea 120 years ago, when most adults did productive work into their sixties, then died. In today’s top-heavy welfare states, it just empowers tax-eaters to loot the national wealth.”
John Derbyshire (born 1945) first seen 2014 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Two Bad Answers, Taki's Magazine, June 5, 2014.
“The main problem in the world is that power, and wealth is in the hands of a few elite.”
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (born 1956) first seen 2018 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Twitter 22 Aug 2018
“Power and wealth must be in the hands of all, this occurrence needs capable and just managers.”
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (born 1956) first seen 2018 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Twitter 21 Aug 2018
“When wealth,power, and media are monopolized by a minority, how can they speak about freedom and justice? The capitalist systems can never grant freedom and justice.”
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (born 1956) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Twitter 18 Feb 2019
“Hence, men that are born in the north are rendered over-timid and weak by fever, but their wealth of blood enables them to stand up against the sword without timidity.”
Vitruvius (80–15 BC) said by 15 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The fabric of our prosperity is so artificial, we have raised such a vast edifice of industry and manufacture and wealth within so narrow an area, that the progress of a hostile army through our country would shatter our prosperity with a ruin which centuries would not repair. (Hear, hear.) In proportion to the danger must be our precaution. (Cheers.) We have to protect ourselves.”
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (1830–1903) first seen 1889 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Defending increased naval expenditure; speech in Bristol (22 April 1889), quoted in The Times (24 April 1889), p. 6
“The man is a relic, gentlemen, from an age most of us have only read about. He would have us judged by our wealth and our martial glory rather than our goodwill and tranquility of spirit.”
Michael Moorcock (born 1939) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“One of the things that Chávez did when he came to power, he didn’t kill all the oligarchs. There was about 200 families who controlled about 80% of the wealth in Venezuela. He allowed them to live, to carry on. I suspect a lot of them are using their power and control over imports and exports to make it difficult and to undermine Maduro.”
Ken Livingstone (born 1945) first seen 2017 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Comments made to Talk Radio cited in "Ken Livingstone: Venezuela crisis due to Chávez's failure to kill oligarchs" The Guardian (3 August 2017). He later clarified that he is "not in favour of killing anyone.
“The natives are quick to detect a peculiarity in a man, and to give him a name accordingly. The conquerors of a country try to forestall them by selecting one for themselves. Susi states that when Tipo Tipo stood over the spoil taken from Nsama, he gathered it closer together, and said: "Now I am Tipo Tipo,'that is,'the gatherer together of wealth.'”
David Livingstone (1813–1873) said by 1873 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Your Highnesses have an Other World here, by which our holy faith can be so greatly advanced and from which such great wealth can be drawn.”
Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) said by 1506 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Weep for me, whoever has charity, truth and justice! I did not come on this voyage for gain, honor or wealth, that is certain; for then the hope of all such things was dead. I came to Your Highnesses with honest purpose and sincere zeal; and I do not lie. I humbly beseech You Highnesses that, if it please God to remove me hence, you will help me to go to Rome and on other pilgrimages.”
Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) said by 1506 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Those who wish to attain God and progress in religious devotion, should particularly guard themselves against the snares of lust and wealth. Otherwise they can never attain perfection.”
Ramakrishna (1836–1886) said by 1886 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in Hindu Psychology : Its Meaning for the West (1946) by Swami Akhilananda, p. 204
“A worldly man may be endowed with intellect as great as that of Ganaka, may take as much pains and trouble as a Yogin, and make as great sacrifices as an ascetic; but all these he makes and does, not for God, but for worldliness, honour, and wealth.”
Ramakrishna (1836–1886) said by 1886 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Those who wish to attain God or make progress in their devotional practices should particularly guard themselves against the snares of lust and wealth. Otherwise they will never attain perfection. (74)”
Ramakrishna (1836–1886) said by 1886 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It is wrong to assume that men of immense wealth are always happy.”
John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937) first seen 1905 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Attributed as a statement to his Bible class (1 April 1905) in "The Loneliness of John D. Rockefeller", Current Literature (November 1906) vol. 41 no. 5,
“Conservatives are concerned about the production of wealth. Liberals are concerned about the redistribution of it.”
Mike Rosen (born 1944) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Success does not necessarily involve great intellect, or great position, or great wealth; it has to do with inner integrity. Remember that.”
Jane Roberts (1929–1984) said by 1984 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“You see only the productions of second-rate folk who are in a hurry to get wealth and fame. The true knowledge, the deadly knowledge, is still kept secret. But, believe me, my friend, it is there.”
John Buchan (1875–1940) said by 1940 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Sure, love vincit omnia; is immeasurably above all ambition, more precious than wealth, more noble than name. He knows not life who knows not that: he hath not felt the highest faculty of the soul who hath not enjoyed it.”
William Makepeace Thackeray (1811–1863) said by 1863 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Nay, Spring was o'er-happy and knew not the reason, And Summer dreamed sadly, for she thought all was ended In her fulness of wealth that might not be amended; But this is the harvest and the garnering season, And the leaf and the blossom in the ripe fruit are blended.”
William Morris (1834–1896) said by 1896 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Government, management and unions...have now...jointly embarked for the first time in Britain, on the path of working out together how to create and share the nation's wealth for the benefit of all the people. It is an offer to employers and unions to share fully with the Government the benefits and the obligations involved in running the national economy.”
Edward Heath (1916–2005) first seen 1972 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech to Conservative Party Conference in Blackpool (14 October 1972), quoted in John Campbell, Edward Heath (1993), pp. 473-474