--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that most Americans don't resent…" description: "\"I think that most Americans don't resent people for getting rich. They want to get rich themselves.\" — Barack Obama" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/barack-obama-17_get-rich_i-think-that-most-americans-don-t-resent_2070876.jpg" --- # I think that most Americans don't resent people for… ![“I think that most Americans don't resent people for getting rich. They want to get rich themselves.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/barack-obama-17_get-rich_i-think-that-most-americans-don-t-resent_2070876.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/barack-obama-17_get-rich_i-think-that-most-americans-don-t-resent_2070876.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/barack-obama-17_get-rich_i-think-that-most-americans-don-t-resent_2070876.jpg) > “I think that most Americans don't resent people for getting rich. They want to get rich themselves.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Many admire wealth and aspire to it, reflecting a cultural focus on financial success. **In simple terms:** People admire wealth and want it themselves. Key Takeaway Recognize and address societal attitudes toward wealth. Themes wealth culture aspiration economics Mood analytical thoughtful Type political philosophical When to use this quote - financial planning - entrepreneurship - policy discussion - education reform Key Concepts socio‑economic analysis motivation social psychology Questions to Reflect On - What drives your desire for wealth? - How can you balance financial goals with other life priorities? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on wealth can neglect other values like community or wellbeing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) [Get rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get-rich/) [Getting Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-rich/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Resent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resent/) [Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich/) [Rich Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich-want-326120/) [Think Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-americans-362548/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-rich-259072/) ## Related quotes > [I do want to get rich but I never want to do what there is to do to get rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-do-want-to-get-rich-but-i-never-want-to-do-what-there-is-to-do-to/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [I never met a poor person who wanted to soak the rich; they want to get rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kemp/i-never-met-a-poor-person-who-wanted-to-soak-the-rich-they-want-to/) [Jack Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kemp/) > [Becoming rich isn't as much about getting rich financially as about whom you become, in character and mind, to get rich. I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-harv-eker/becoming-rich-isn-t-as-much-about-getting-rich-financially-as-about-2/) [T. Harv Eker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-harv-eker/) > [“The fact is that people who work the hardest do not wind up rich. If you want to be rich, you need to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-fact-is-that-people-who-work-the-hardest-do-not-wind-up-rich-if/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Before you go further, I encourage you to set your goals today. Why do you want to be rich? What do you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramit-sethi/before-you-go-further-i-encourage-you-to-set-your-goals-today-why-do/) [Ramit Sethi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramit-sethi/) > [So then you have to say to yourself: Do I want to be rich, or do I want to do good work?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-cooper/so-then-you-have-to-say-to-yourself-do-i-want-to-be-rich-or-do-i-want/) [Jackie Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-cooper/) > [“I do want to get rich but I never want to do what there is to get rich. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-do-want-to-get-rich-but-i-never-want-to-do-what-there-is-to-get-rich/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Someday I want to be rich. Some people get so rich they lose all respect for humanity. That's how rich I want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-rudner/someday-i-want-to-be-rich-some-people-get-so-rich-they-lose-all/) [Rita Rudner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-rudner/) > [Most people want to be rich but they do not want to pay the price, in fact there are ways of becoming rich in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/most-people-want-to-be-rich-but-they-do-not-want-to-pay-the-price-in/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [I never wanted to be famous. It was amusing at first, but now I hate it. I just wanted to be respected by people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/i-never-wanted-to-be-famous-it-was-amusing-at-first-but-now-i-hate-it/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) > [Now I have no doubt that Mitt Romney was worried about pink slips - whether he was going to have enough of them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perry/now-i-have-no-doubt-that-mitt-romney-was-worried-about-pink-slips/) [Rick Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perry/) > [Nothing can destroy the good writer. The only thing that can alter the good writer is death. Good ones don't have time to bother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/nothing-can-destroy-the-good-writer-the-only-thing-that-can-alter-the/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [If you are not happy while getting rich, chances are that you will not be happy when you do get rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/if-you-are-not-happy-while-getting-rich-chances-are-that-you-will-not/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [You’re only poor if you give up. The most important thing is that you did something. Most people only talk and dream of getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-re-only-poor-if-you-give-up-the-most-important-thing-is-that-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being is good, but getting rich is better… If the gods had only the riches of men's adoration, they would be as poor as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/being-is-good-but-getting-rich-is-better-if-the-gods-had-only-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More Americans quotes > [“People – Americans, mostly – realise how attached they are to material comforts when they arrive in India.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-william-roberts/people-americans-mostly-realise-how-attached-they-are-to-material/) [Paul William Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-william-roberts/) > [Music has an intrinsic value that touches Americans - they love their music, and want more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-rosen/music-has-an-intrinsic-value-that-touches-americans-they-love-their/) [Hilary Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-rosen/) > [Americans are very friendly and very suspicious, that is what Americans are and that is what always upsets the foreigner, who deals with them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/americans-are-very-friendly-and-very-suspicious-that-is-what/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. Repressing your anger is not healthy. It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [Just because the Americans are so good at rattling out accessible and cheap junk food, nobody looks twice when it comes to their food.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-oliver/just-because-the-americans-are-so-good-at-rattling-out-accessible-and/) [Jamie Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-oliver/) > [My parents don't care what Americans think of us; we just care what the other Indian people in our community think of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himanshu-suri/my-parents-don-t-care-what-americans-think-of-us-we-just-care-what/) [Himanshu Suri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himanshu-suri/) > [When Americans, who have no idea who I am, laugh at my jokes, it's exactly the same if someone loves you even if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gad-elmaleh/when-americans-who-have-no-idea-who-i-am-laugh-at-my-jokes-it-s/) [Gad Elmaleh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gad-elmaleh/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We Americans tend to be a prodigal lot. We are as careless with our personal resources as we are with the resources of nature,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-crook-de-camp/we-americans-tend-to-be-a-prodigal-lot-we-are-as-careless-with-our/) [Catherine Crook de Camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-crook-de-camp/) > [Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/americans-will-put-up-with-anything-provided-it-doesn-t-block-traffic/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [Most Americans believe in fairness; we believe that people should work hard but there should be a safety net. We believe in saving the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-maclean/most-americans-believe-in-fairness-we-believe-that-people-should-work/) [Nancy MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-maclean/) > [“Using a wide variety of media, we could demonstrate for our fellow Americans their anxieties, desires, insufficiencies, and frustrations--and how to assuage them all.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-ferris/using-a-wide-variety-of-media-we-could-demonstrate-for-our-fellow/) [Joshua Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-ferris/) > [The Americans say that we are ungrateful-but I ask them for heaven's sake, what should we be grateful to them for-for murdering our fathers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-walker/the-americans-say-that-we-are-ungrateful-but-i-ask-them-for-heaven-s/) [David Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-walker/) > [So many Korean Americans like me came to this country with the hope of achieving their own American Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-steel/so-many-korean-americans-like-me-came-to-this-country-with-the-hope/) [Michelle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-steel/) > [You are Americans. You love this country. Together we are entrusted with the principles that represent mankind's greatest political and social achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tsongas/you-are-americans-you-love-this-country-together-we-are-entrusted/) [Paul Tsongas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tsongas/) [Browse all 1,536 Americans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think that most Americans don't resent people for getting rich. 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