Greed Quote by Adam Phillips
““Greed is a way of avoiding making choices: if I have everything I don't have to choose what I want. And choosing what I want means giving up some pleasures for other pleasures.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Unconscious, Adam Phillips, 2005
Avoiding choices leads to greed; having everything removes the need to decide, but choosing means sacrificing some pleasures for others.
In simple terms: Greed avoids decisions; choosing requires trade‑offs.
Key Takeaway
Embrace decision‑making despite discomfort.
Themes
greed
choice
pleasure trade‑off
Mood
analytical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
psychological
When to use this quote
- career planning
- budgeting
- relationship negotiations
Key Concepts
psychology
philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- What choices are you avoiding?
- How can you value one pleasure over another?
A Different Perspective
Too many options can cause paralysis.
![“The child..will try to make himself..independent of other people. .. Excesses of appetite are self-cures for feelings of hopelessness. ..The child [uses] ‘doubt about food to hide doubt about love.’” quote by Adam Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/154/adam-phillips-18270_appetite_the-child-will-try-to-make-himself-indep_1066864.jpg)
![“Where there are kashays (anger-pride-deceit-greed), there is worldly life. As long as anger-pride-deceit-greed exist; one is a sansaari [living a worldly life] regardless of whether one is an ascetic or a family man. And where anger-pride-deceit-greed are absent, one is regarded as being asansaari…” quote by Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7ec/dada-bhagwan-31_anger_where-there-are-kashays-anger-pride-dece_5756.jpg)
