--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No hungry man who is also sober can be…" description: "\"No hungry man who is also sober can be persuaded to use his last dollar for anything but food.\" — John Kenneth Galbraith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fb/john-kenneth-galbraith-643_dollars_no-hungry-man-who-is-also-sober-can-be-p_3063163.png" --- # No hungry man who is also sober can be persuaded to use… ![“No hungry man who is also sober can be persuaded to use his last dollar for anything but food.” quote by John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fb/john-kenneth-galbraith-643_dollars_no-hungry-man-who-is-also-sober-can-be-p_3063163.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fb/john-kenneth-galbraith-643_dollars_no-hungry-man-who-is-also-sober-can-be-p_3063163.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fb/john-kenneth-galbraith-643_dollars_no-hungry-man-who-is-also-sober-can-be-p_3063163.png) > “No hungry man who is also sober can be persuaded to use his last dollar for anything but food.” [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A sober, hungry person will prioritize food over any other purchase, highlighting basic needs trump luxury. **In simple terms:** Basic needs dominate spending decisions. Key Takeaway Prioritize essentials over luxuries. Themes economics need poverty Mood analytical practical Type economic advisory When to use this quote - budget planning - food security - poverty alleviation Key Concepts consumer behavior resource allocation Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance essential needs with long‑term goals? - What strategies help avoid spending on non‑essentials? A Different Perspective People may sacrifice health for immediate hunger. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dollars/) [Hunger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunger/) [Hungry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hungry/) [Hungry man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hungry-man/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Man Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-sober-1651544/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sober/) [Sober Persuaded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sober-persuaded-5147546/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) ## Related quotes > [“He believed a man should never be sober but never be drunk. And he believed in watching out for family, even if you had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-dare-pearce/he-believed-a-man-should-never-be-sober-but-never-be-drunk-and-he/) [Allan Dare Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-dare-pearce/) > [I don't say that the drunk man is the real man, and the sober man merely a shell. But you find out something different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-amis/i-don-t-say-that-the-drunk-man-is-the-real-man-and-the-sober-man/) [Kingsley Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-amis/) > [ Prudence must not be expected from a man who is never sober. \[Lat., Non est ab homine nunquam sobrio postulanda prudentia.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/prudence-must-not-be-expected-from-a-man-who-is-never-sober-lat-non/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The drinking man is never less himself than during his sober intervals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/the-drinking-man-is-never-less-himself-than-during-his-sober-intervals/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [Alcohol may comfort a man until he is sober, but doesnt fill his psychological gaps; it only replaces the lack of God and transports…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-persaud/alcohol-may-comfort-a-man-until-he-is-sober-but-doesnt-fill-his/) [Marcia Persaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-persaud/) > [You’re a goner, Donovan. When a hungry man spends more time lookin’ at his woman than eatin’ , he’s in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-feehan/you-re-a-goner-donovan-when-a-hungry-man-spends-more-time-lookin-at/) [Christine Feehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-feehan/) > [As refined fare serves a hungry man as well as and no better than coarser food, the more pretentious artist will not dream of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/as-refined-fare-serves-a-hungry-man-as-well-as-and-no-better-than/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Get out from that kitchen and rattle those pots and pans. Well, roll my breakfast cause I'm a hungry man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-joe-turner/get-out-from-that-kitchen-and-rattle-those-pots-and-pans-well-roll-my/) [Big Joe Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-joe-turner/) > [“A hungry man can be a fast learner. When you come to a table with nothing but need, you are grateful for things you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-yankoski/a-hungry-man-can-be-a-fast-learner-when-you-come-to-a-table-with/) [Mike Yankoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-yankoski/) > [Those who know their unworthiness seize grace as a hungry man seizes bread: the self-righteous resent grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/those-who-know-their-unworthiness-seize-grace-as-a-hungry-man-seizes/) [Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/) > [“AN HUNGRY MAN IS ALWAYS AN ANGRY MAN”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sekou-konneh/an-hungry-man-is-always-an-angry-man/) [Sekou Konneh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sekou-konneh/) > [A hungry man is an angry one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/a-hungry-man-is-an-angry-one/) [Buchi Emecheta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/) > [Hungry man, reach for the book: it is a weapon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/hungry-man-reach-for-the-book-it-is-a-weapon/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [If people are hungry, ill-clad, unsheltered or diseased, nothing is so important as to remedy their condition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/if-people-are-hungry-ill-clad-unsheltered-or-diseased-nothing-is-so/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [“Have you seen a hungry man with a gun? Of course not. Such things don't exist. It's like saying, have you ever seen a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinaw-mengestu/have-you-seen-a-hungry-man-with-a-gun-of-course-not-such-things-don-t/) [Dinaw Mengestu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinaw-mengestu/) ## More by John Kenneth Galbraith > [Getting on the cover of TIME guarantees the existence of opposition in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/getting-on-the-cover-of-time-guarantees-the-existence-of-opposition/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Technology means the systematic application of scientific or other organized knowledge to practical tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/technology-means-the-systematic-application-of-scientific-or-other/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [“Men can labor to make sense out of single steps toward the goal without ever pausing to reflect that the goal itself is ludicrous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/men-can-labor-to-make-sense-out-of-single-steps-toward-the-goal/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Consumer wants can have bizarre, frivolous, or even immoral origins, and an admirable case can still be made for a society that seeks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/consumer-wants-can-have-bizarre-frivolous-or-even-immoral-origins-and/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [That one never need to look beyond the love of money for explanation of human behavior is one of the most jealously guarded simplification…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/that-one-never-need-to-look-beyond-the-love-of-money-for-explanation/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Agriculture is one economic activity that does not obey the laws of demand and supply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/agriculture-is-one-economic-activity-that-does-not-obey-the-laws-of/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [If we were not in Vietnam, all that part of the world would be enjoying the obscurity it so richly deserves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/if-we-were-not-in-vietnam-all-that-part-of-the-world-would-be/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Washington is a place where men praise courage and act on elaborate personal cost-benefit calculations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/washington-is-a-place-where-men-praise-courage-and-act-on-elaborate/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [World War II revealed two of the enduring features of the Keynesian Revolution. One was the moral difference between spending for welfare and spending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/world-war-ii-revealed-two-of-the-enduring-features-of-the-keynesian/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Money is what fueled the industrial society. But in the informational society, the fuel, the power, is knowledge. One has now come to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/money-is-what-fueled-the-industrial-society-but-in-the-informational/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [While it will be desirable to achieve planned results, it will be even more important to avoid unplanned disasters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/while-it-will-be-desirable-to-achieve-planned-results-it-will-be-even/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [A bad book is the worse that it cannot repent. It has not been the devil's policy to keep the masses of mankind in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/a-bad-book-is-the-worse-that-it-cannot-repent-it-has-not-been-the/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Genius is a rising stock market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/genius-is-a-rising-stock-market/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Mr. David Stockman has said that supply-side economics was merely a cover for the trickle-down approach to economic policy—what an older and less elegant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/mr-david-stockman-has-said-that-supply-side-economics-was-merely-a/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Inventions that are not made, like babies that are not born, are rarely missed. In the absence of new developments, old ones may seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/inventions-that-are-not-made-like-babies-that-are-not-born-are-rarely/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) [Explore all 434 John Kenneth Galbraith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) ## More Dollars quotes > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [This welfare for wealthy companies wastes taxpayer dollars, harms the environment, and makes a mockery of the recent reductions in federal social spending programs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/this-welfare-for-wealthy-companies-wastes-taxpayer-dollars-harms-the/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [I love being in Malibu. It's so cool there, and the water is just, it's nice and, and I love the beach. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-evancho/i-love-being-in-malibu-it-s-so-cool-there-and-the-water-is-just-it-s/) [Jackie Evancho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-evancho/) > [The greatest charity you can contribute to is yourself. Instead of spending a dollar to help feed hungry children, why not spend that dollar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-greatest-charity-you-can-contribute-to-is-yourself-instead-of/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [If I had a million dollars, I just wouldn't just completely set back. I'd have to get out there and show my face to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muddy-waters/if-i-had-a-million-dollars-i-just-wouldn-t-just-completely-set-back-i/) [Muddy Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muddy-waters/) > [As far as Japan is concerned, I want to help all of our allies, but we are losing billions and billions of dollars. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/as-far-as-japan-is-concerned-i-want-to-help-all-of-our-allies-but-we/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Some day I'll write a book and call it 'How I Got the Nickname Pumpsie' and sell it for one dollar, and if everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pumpsie-green/some-day-i-ll-write-a-book-and-call-it-how-i-got-the-nickname-pumpsie/) [Pumpsie Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pumpsie-green/) > [I'm part of a team that raises millions of dollars and raises awareness of HIV and AIDS all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-evangelista/i-m-part-of-a-team-that-raises-millions-of-dollars-and-raises/) [Linda Evangelista](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-evangelista/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [Right now, the government is spending billions of dollars supporting the problem-makers in the U.S. economy - the polluters, despoilers, incarcerators, and warmongers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/right-now-the-government-is-spending-billions-of-dollars-supporting/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [In short, both experience and economic theory imply that the US could now t to a more competitive dollar without experiencing either increased inflation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-feldstein/in-short-both-experience-and-economic-theory-imply-that-the-us-could/) [Martin Feldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-feldstein/) > [I think we need to talk about mental illness a lot more. People complain about tax dollars and say we don't have the money.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-long/i-think-we-need-to-talk-about-mental-illness-a-lot-more-people/) [Nia Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-long/) > [A man with a million dollars can be as happy nowadays as though he were rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ward-mcallister/a-man-with-a-million-dollars-can-be-as-happy-nowadays-as-though-he/) [Ward McAllister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ward-mcallister/) > [Here we were talking about economic development, about investing billions of dollars in various programs, and I could see it wasn't billions of dollars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/here-we-were-talking-about-economic-development-about-investing/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [I used to sit in front of McDonald's and ask people for dollars to get me a cheeseburger. It was bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-pain/i-used-to-sit-in-front-of-mcdonald-s-and-ask-people-for-dollars-to/) [T-Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-pain/) [Browse all 2,882 Dollars quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dollars/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No hungry man who is also sober can be persuaded to use his last dollar for anything but food.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Kenneth Galbraith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/no-hungry-man-who-is-also-sober-can-be-persuaded-to-use-his-last/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dollars" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/no-hungry-man-who-is-also-sober-can-be-persuaded-to-use-his-last/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fb/john-kenneth-galbraith-643_dollars_no-hungry-man-who-is-also-sober-can-be-p_3063163.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fb/john-kenneth-galbraith-643_dollars_no-hungry-man-who-is-also-sober-can-be-p_3063163.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fb/john-kenneth-galbraith-643_dollars_no-hungry-man-who-is-also-sober-can-be-p_3063163.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No hungry man who is also sober can be persuaded to use his last dollar for anything but food.” — John Kenneth Galbraith", "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": "John Kenneth Galbraith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "No hungry man who is also...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/no-hungry-man-who-is-also-sober-can-be-persuaded-to-use-his-last/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/no-hungry-man-who-is-also-sober-can-be-persuaded-to-use-his-last/#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 } } ] } ```