--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I guess it comes down to greed. You don’t…" description: "\"“I guess it comes down to greed. You don’t pay folks, you make more money. That and thinking one race wasn’t as good as another.”\" — David Baldacci" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f9/david-baldacci-1558_greed_i-guess-it-comes-down-to-greed-you-don-t_3006178.png" --- # I guess it comes down to greed. You don’t pay folks, you… ![“I guess it comes down to greed. You don’t pay folks, you make more money. That and thinking one race wasn’t as good as another.” quote by David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f9/david-baldacci-1558_greed_i-guess-it-comes-down-to-greed-you-don-t_3006178.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f9/david-baldacci-1558_greed_i-guess-it-comes-down-to-greed-you-don-t_3006178.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f9/david-baldacci-1558_greed_i-guess-it-comes-down-to-greed-you-don-t_3006178.png) > ““I guess it comes down to greed. You don’t pay folks, you make more money. That and thinking one race wasn’t as good as another.”” [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Greed drives exploitation, and racial bias rationalizes inequality, revealing systemic injustice. **In simple terms:** Greed and racism fuel unfairness. Key Takeaway Address greed and bias to promote equity. Themes justice greed racism Mood critical concerned Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - policy reform - education - community activism - corporate ethics Key Concepts systemic inequality ethical leadership Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions curb greed? - What actions reduce racial prejudice? A Different Perspective Changing deep‑seated biases is complex and slow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Greed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greed/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) ## Related quotes > [You can't take anything with you. So I don't understand this whole psychotic area of greed, I don't get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-d/you-can-t-take-anything-with-you-so-i-don-t-understand-this-whole/) [Chuck D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-d/) > [You have to remove your human sentiment when it comes to greed and the accumulation of wealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-armitage/you-have-to-remove-your-human-sentiment-when-it-comes-to-greed-and/) [Richard Armitage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-armitage/) > [“In the American colonies, the first laborers were European indentured servants. When African laborers were forcibly brought to Virginia beginning in 1619, status was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-h-goodman/in-the-american-colonies-the-first-laborers-were-european-indentured/) Alan H. Goodman > [Greed has been with human beings forever. We have a number of things in our species that you would call 'the dark side,' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/greed-has-been-with-human-beings-forever-we-have-a-number-of-things/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [Greed arises only because your present moment is empty, and to live in an empty moment hurts very much. To forget it you project…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/greed-arises-only-because-your-present-moment-is-empty-and-to-live-in/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I was mad when I heard The Amazing Race wasn't about white people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/i-was-mad-when-i-heard-the-amazing-race-wasn-t-about-white-people/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Race wasn't an issue. My family was French, but Yorkville was a melting pot of races and cultures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/race-wasn-t-an-issue-my-family-was-french-but-yorkville-was-a-melting/) [Bob Cousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cousy/) > [ I think people couldn't really put me in \[one race\]. I wasn't Mexican, I wasn't white, I wasn't black, I wasn't Asian... I wasn't… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-alba/i-think-people-couldn-t-really-put-me-in-one-race-i-wasn-t-mexican-i/) [Jessica Alba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-alba/) > [Wanting the perfect race wasn't one of Hitler's faults, but killing the people he hates absolutely was!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-fowler/wanting-the-perfect-race-wasn-t-one-of-hitler-s-faults-but-killing/) [Steve Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-fowler/) > [It was a pretty wild ride. The race wasn't bad, but qualifying would take your breath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-marlin/it-was-a-pretty-wild-ride-the-race-wasn-t-bad-but-qualifying-would/) [Sterling Marlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-marlin/) > [“You can be in the race but unless you finish one might say the race wasn't in you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-m-jones/you-can-be-in-the-race-but-unless-you-finish-one-might-say-the-race/) Brent M. Jones > [People say, 'I'm tired of thinking about race, it's a drag.' Yeah, well, welcome to my life! I don't care who you are. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhiannon-giddens/people-say-i-m-tired-of-thinking-about-race-it-s-a-drag-yeah-well/) [Rhiannon Giddens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhiannon-giddens/) > [You have got to act on instinct; you've got to ride from your heart and let that performer come out. You can't over-think it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-buchanan/you-have-got-to-act-on-instinct-you-ve-got-to-ride-from-your-heart/) [Caroline Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-buchanan/) > [Mentally, my key is just focusing on the little things I need to do in a race, whether that's tempo, turn entry, start speed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shani-davis/mentally-my-key-is-just-focusing-on-the-little-things-i-need-to-do-in/) [Shani Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shani-davis/) > [When I'm racing, I'm thinking about my own race. I'm not thinking about anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caster-semenya/when-i-m-racing-i-m-thinking-about-my-own-race-i-m-not-thinking-about/) [Caster Semenya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caster-semenya/) ## More by David Baldacci > [Why waste time trying to discover the truth, when you can so easily create it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/why-waste-time-trying-to-discover-the-truth-when-you-can-so-easily/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [It's the hardest thing in the world to put yourself in someone else's place, try to really feel what they feel, figure out why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/it-s-the-hardest-thing-in-the-world-to-put-yourself-in-someone-else-s/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [“That’s what’s called a ‘valley fill.’ What they fill it with the coal companies call ‘overburden.’ That’s basically everything they tore off the land:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/that-s-what-s-called-a-valley-fill-what-they-fill-it-with-the-coal/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [But if I worried too much about publishers' expectations, I'd probably paralyze myself and not be able to write anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/but-if-i-worried-too-much-about-publishers-expectations-i-d-probably/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [That's what civilization sometimes did to threats, real or perceived. They walled them off. Us against them. Survival of the fittest. You die so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/that-s-what-civilization-sometimes-did-to-threats-real-or-perceived/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [“You could have been a great scientist or something. Or a writer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/you-could-have-been-a-great-scientist-or-something-or-a-writer/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [“That’s good to hear, Billy. Kids have enough shit to deal with without somebody who is supposed to love them beating the crap out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/that-s-good-to-hear-billy-kids-have-enough-shit-to-deal-with-without/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [Most people associate reading with laying on the beach. They don't see that it's crucial for a democracy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/most-people-associate-reading-with-laying-on-the-beach-they-don-t-see/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [I'm ever curious about the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/i-m-ever-curious-about-the-world/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [“There was a time when Stone would have rated a platoon of crackerjack killers coming for him by land, sea and air. Those days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/there-was-a-time-when-stone-would-have-rated-a-platoon-of-crackerjack/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [I'm driven to go out and find new things to write about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/i-m-driven-to-go-out-and-find-new-things-to-write-about/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [It's hard, Cotton. To let yourself love something you know you may never have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/it-s-hard-cotton-to-let-yourself-love-something-you-know-you-may/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [I'm a wicked ping-pong player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/i-m-a-wicked-ping-pong-player/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [“He could compartmentalize at an astonishing level. It came from not giving a shit. And”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/he-could-compartmentalize-at-an-astonishing-level-it-came-from-not/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [“two unconscious, bleeding men and then over at the girl behind the bar. She was staring at him openmouthed, the glass-rag and beer mug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/two-unconscious-bleeding-men-and-then-over-at-the-girl-behind-the-bar/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) [Explore all 214 David Baldacci quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) ## More Greed quotes > [Stephanie could see the greed seep into the watery eyes of her father’s other brother, a horrible little man called Fergus, as he nodded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/stephanie-could-see-the-greed-seep-into-the-watery-eyes-of-her-father/) [Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/) > [ “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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-are-kashays-anger-pride-deceit-greed-there-is-worldly/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“THE UNFORGIVEN Tell me if you've ever had to deal with these kinds of people: The kind who take and don't give. The kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-unforgiven-tell-me-if-you-ve-ever-had-to-deal-with-these-kinds-of/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [The law is the collective organization of the individual's right to lawful defense of his life, liberty and property. When it is used for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-law-is-the-collective-organization-of-the-individual-s-right-to/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“The fact that they viewed their wealth as a result of their own hands, without any honor other than lip service being given to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-goff/the-fact-that-they-viewed-their-wealth-as-a-result-of-their-own-hands/) [Lee Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-goff/) > [“Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/be-fearful-when-others-are-greedy-and-be-greedy-when-others-are/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [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/) > [“In a similar way, The Art of War pinpoints anger and greed as fundamental causes of defeat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/in-a-similar-way-the-art-of-war-pinpoints-anger-and-greed-as/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [Who does not know that kings and rulers sprang from men who were ignorant of God, who assumed because of blind greed and intolerable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-gregory-vii/who-does-not-know-that-kings-and-rulers-sprang-from-men-who-were/) [Pope Gregory VII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-gregory-vii/) > [''And one day when all is gone and mankind is lost, all he leaves is the desert.'' ''For man is his own demise the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/and-one-day-when-all-is-gone-and-mankind-is-lost-all-he-leaves-is-the/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [“Wisdom teaches us that our real enemies are never other living beings. They are ignorance and its minions, including greed, hatred, anger, pride, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-newland/wisdom-teaches-us-that-our-real-enemies-are-never-other-living-beings/) Guy Newland > [“Suckers think that you cure greed with money, addiction with substances, expert problems with experts, banking with bankers, economics with economists, and debt crises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/suckers-think-that-you-cure-greed-with-money-addiction-with/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [The universe appears to me like an immense, inexorable torture-garden…Passions, greed, hatred, and lies; social institutions, justice, love, glory, heroism, and religion: these are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/the-universe-appears-to-me-like-an-immense-inexorable-torture-garden/) [Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/) > [“Thankfulness acknowledges that we can’t own anything, but we can experience everything. And just knowing that makes me thankful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/thankfulness-acknowledges-that-we-can-t-own-anything-but-we-can/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [Con men look for human frailty to exploit. This is most often greed. Trump found a different vice: anger. The emotional are always the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-meyer/con-men-look-for-human-frailty-to-exploit-this-is-most-often-greed/) [Pamela Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-meyer/) [Browse all 2,232 Greed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greed/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I guess it comes down to greed. You don’t pay folks, you make more money. 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