--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s not greed that drives the world, but…" description: "\"It’s not greed that drives the world, but envy.\" — Charlie Munger" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/charlie-munger-458_envy_it-s-not-greed-that-drives-the-world-but_1480757.jpg" --- # It’s not greed that drives the world, but envy. ![“It’s not greed that drives the world, but envy.” quote by Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/charlie-munger-458_envy_it-s-not-greed-that-drives-the-world-but_1480757.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/charlie-munger-458_envy_it-s-not-greed-that-drives-the-world-but_1480757.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/charlie-munger-458_envy_it-s-not-greed-that-drives-the-world-but_1480757.jpg) > “It’s not greed that drives the world, but envy.” [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement claims that envy, not greed, is the primary driver of global actions and motivations. **In simple terms:** Envy drives the world more than greed. Key Takeaway Recognize and manage envy in yourself and others. Themes envy motivation human nature Mood insightful critical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - business competition - social media dynamics - personal ambition - political power struggles Key Concepts psychology economics ethics Questions to Reflect On - How does envy manifest in your life? - What strategies reduce envy-driven behavior? A Different Perspective Envy can be difficult to measure objectively. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Envy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envy/) [Greed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greed/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Jealousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jealousy/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Work should never make me weary If I'm really meant to do it, But it soon becomes exhausting If it's greed that drives me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mccann/work-should-never-make-me-weary-if-i-m-really-meant-to-do-it-but-it/) [Rebecca McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mccann/) > [Talent is what drives this world ... Doesn’t matter how many satellites you f---ing stick in the air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-stern/talent-is-what-drives-this-world-doesn-t-matter-how-many-satellites/) [Howard Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-stern/) > [Always say WE To remain SAVVY in our bevy world of envy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anuj-somany/always-say-we-to-remain-savvy-in-our-bevy-world-of-envy/) [Anuj Somany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anuj-somany/) > [There isn't a king or a merchant prince in the whole world that I envy, for I always knew I was born to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/there-isn-t-a-king-or-a-merchant-prince-in-the-whole-world-that-i/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [“The ass of a man is the piston that drives the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-ass-of-a-man-is-the-piston-that-drives-the-world/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [What good is envy? It’s the one sin you can’t have any fun at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/what-good-is-envy-it-s-the-one-sin-you-can-t-have-any-fun-at/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Everything - our houses, our clothes, our hairstyles - is meant to help us forget ourselves and to protect us from vanity, greed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/everything-our-houses-our-clothes-our-hairstyles-is-meant-to-help-us/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [avarice breeds envy, a worm that is always gnawing, letting the avaricious enjoy neither their own nor anyone else's good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/avarice-breeds-envy-a-worm-that-is-always-gnawing-letting-the/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [“Don't envy what people have, emulate what they did to have it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-fargo/don-t-envy-what-people-have-emulate-what-they-did-to-have-it/) [Tim Fargo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-fargo/) > [Harvard and Yale concentrated with venture capitalists that got the best calls and brainpower. Very few firms made most of the money, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/harvard-and-yale-concentrated-with-venture-capitalists-that-got-the/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [If we lived in a State where virtue was profitable, common sense would make us good, and greed would make us saintly. And we'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bolt/if-we-lived-in-a-state-where-virtue-was-profitable-common-sense-would/) [Robert Bolt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bolt/) > [If we weren't born with anti-social passions - narcissism, envy, lust, meanness, greed, hunger for power, just to name the more obvious - why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/if-we-weren-t-born-with-anti-social-passions-narcissism-envy-lust/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [The world says: "You have needs -- satisfy them. You have as much right as the rich and the mighty. Don't hesitate to satisfy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-world-says-you-have-needs-satisfy-them-you-have-as-much-right-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The same old caveman feeling-greed, envy, violence, and mutual hate, which along the way assumed respectable pseudonyms like class struggle, racial struggle, mass struggle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/the-same-old-caveman-feeling-greed-envy-violence-and-mutual-hate/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [A fight is going on inside me," said an old man to his son. "It is a terrible fight between two wolves. One wolf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/a-fight-is-going-on-inside-me-said-an-old-man-to-his-son-it-is-a/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) ## More by Charlie Munger > [Almost all good businesses engage in 'pain today, gain tomorrow' activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/almost-all-good-businesses-engage-in-pain-today-gain-tomorrow/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Acquire worldly wisdom and adjust your behavior accordingly. If your new behavior gives you a little temporary unpopularity with your peer group then to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/acquire-worldly-wisdom-and-adjust-your-behavior-accordingly-if-your/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [I think time and time again, in reality, psychological notions and economic notions interplay, and the man who doesn't understand both is a damned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-think-time-and-time-again-in-reality-psychological-notions-and/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [I have what I call an iron prescription that helps me keep sane when I naturally drift toward preferring one ideology over another and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-have-what-i-call-an-iron-prescription-that-helps-me-keep-sane-when/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [The tax code gives you an enormous advantage if you can find some things you can just sit with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/the-tax-code-gives-you-an-enormous-advantage-if-you-can-find-some/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [The great lesson in microeconomics is to discriminate between when technology is going to help you and when it's going to kill you. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/the-great-lesson-in-microeconomics-is-to-discriminate-between-when/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Some years ago one oil company bought a fertilizer company, and every other major oil company practically ran out and bought a fertilizer company.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/some-years-ago-one-oil-company-bought-a-fertilizer-company-and-every/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [ They \[Mc Donalds\] take people and give them a first job, which enables them to get a second job. They do a very good… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/they-mc-donalds-take-people-and-give-them-a-first-job-which-enables/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [What good is envy? It’s the one sin you can’t have any fun at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/what-good-is-envy-it-s-the-one-sin-you-can-t-have-any-fun-at/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [We believe that almost all really good investment records will involve relatively little diversification. The basic idea that it was hard to find good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/we-believe-that-almost-all-really-good-investment-records-will/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [It is way less certain to be a wonderful business in the future. The threat is alternative mediums of information. Every newspaper is scrambling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/it-is-way-less-certain-to-be-a-wonderful-business-in-the-future-the/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [In the corporate world, if you have analysts, due diligence, and no horse sense, you've just described hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/in-the-corporate-world-if-you-have-analysts-due-diligence-and-no/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [We have to have a special insight, or we'll put it in the 'too tough' basket. All of you have to look for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/we-have-to-have-a-special-insight-or-we-ll-put-it-in-the-too-tough/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [I've heard that one-half of the students at elite schools want to go into private equity or hedge funds. They want to keep up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-ve-heard-that-one-half-of-the-students-at-elite-schools-want-to-go/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) [Explore all 544 Charlie Munger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) ## More Envy quotes > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“He often remembered his dad's admonition that envy was mental theft. If you coveted another man's possessions, Dad said, then you should be willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/he-often-remembered-his-dad-s-admonition-that-envy-was-mental-theft/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“I don't envy "busy." Busy means having a schedule, not living life. What I really covet is leisure and peace of mind. Those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-lynn-hope/i-don-t-envy-busy-busy-means-having-a-schedule-not-living-life-what-i/) [Donna Lynn Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-lynn-hope/) > [There is no sweeter sound than the crumbling of one's fellow man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/there-is-no-sweeter-sound-than-the-crumbling-of-one-s-fellow-man/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [Thinking, or more precisely identification with thinking, gives rise to and maintains the ego, which, in our Western society in particular, is out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/thinking-or-more-precisely-identification-with-thinking-gives-rise-to/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [“Is it not strange that the more someone has, the less he feels he has? Envy can never be sated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/is-it-not-strange-that-the-more-someone-has-the-less-he-feels-he-has/) [Jeff Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/) > [I avoid envy at all costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-winkleman/i-avoid-envy-at-all-costs/) [Claudia Winkleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-winkleman/) > [Sometimes I envy painters, it is wonderful to remain in front of a bouquet of flowers a whole morning, or even longer. A photographer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-boubat/sometimes-i-envy-painters-it-is-wonderful-to-remain-in-front-of-a/) [Edouard Boubat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-boubat/) > [avarice breeds envy, a worm that is always gnawing, letting the avaricious enjoy neither their own nor anyone else's good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/avarice-breeds-envy-a-worm-that-is-always-gnawing-letting-the/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [“You don’t see someone flying and you begin to bite yourself for not being able to do that. You do what you can.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/you-don-t-see-someone-flying-and-you-begin-to-bite-yourself-for-not/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Knowledge forbidden? Suspicious, reasonless. Why should their Lord Envy them that? Can it be sin to know, Can it be death? And do they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/knowledge-forbidden-suspicious-reasonless-why-should-their-lord-envy/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [“Who would have thought you had so many supporters?" she whispered. "Not mine, my love. Yours. I had not a one till you started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-sinclair/who-would-have-thought-you-had-so-many-supporters-she-whispered-not/) [Michele Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-sinclair/) > [“Treachery is always a hairy caterpillar bred of a small butterfly called envy, no matter how lofty the principles involved.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fazil-iskander/treachery-is-always-a-hairy-caterpillar-bred-of-a-small-butterfly/) Fazil Iskander > [Yes, Clay Matthews has a long, golden, Fabio-esque flowing mane that most women would chick-slap someone for. And yes, the shiny, beautiful, dark locks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-foudy/yes-clay-matthews-has-a-long-golden-fabio-esque-flowing-mane-that/) [Julie Foudy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-foudy/) > [“I have known many true connoisseurs, with excellent tastes that range across the humanities and the culinary arts--and they never fail to have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/i-have-known-many-true-connoisseurs-with-excellent-tastes-that-range/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) [Browse all 2,111 Envy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It’s not greed that drives the world, but envy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charlie Munger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/it-s-not-greed-that-drives-the-world-but-envy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Envy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/it-s-not-greed-that-drives-the-world-but-envy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/charlie-munger-458_envy_it-s-not-greed-that-drives-the-world-but_1480757.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/charlie-munger-458_envy_it-s-not-greed-that-drives-the-world-but_1480757.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/charlie-munger-458_envy_it-s-not-greed-that-drives-the-world-but_1480757.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It’s not greed that drives the world, but envy.” — Charlie Munger", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charlie Munger", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It’s not greed that drives the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/it-s-not-greed-that-drives-the-world-but-envy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/it-s-not-greed-that-drives-the-world-but-envy/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```