--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always sworn that not having enough…" description: "\"I've always sworn that not having enough money has saved me from mediocrity.\" — Terry Gilliam" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/terry-gilliam-7704_enough_i-ve-always-sworn-that-not-having-enough_2541057.jpg" --- # I've always sworn that not having enough money has saved… ![“I've always sworn that not having enough money has saved me from mediocrity.” quote by Terry Gilliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/terry-gilliam-7704_enough_i-ve-always-sworn-that-not-having-enough_2541057.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/terry-gilliam-7704_enough_i-ve-always-sworn-that-not-having-enough_2541057.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/terry-gilliam-7704_enough_i-ve-always-sworn-that-not-having-enough_2541057.jpg) > “I've always sworn that not having enough money has saved me from mediocrity.” [Terry Gilliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gilliam/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Scarcity of money can push one to avoid mediocrity by forcing creativity and risk. **In simple terms:** Lack of money drives ambition. Key Takeaway Use constraints as creative fuel. Themes creativity risk ambition financial pressure Mood pragmatic optimistic thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - entrepreneurship - artistic projects - career pivots - budget travel Key Concepts economics psychology innovation Questions to Reflect On - How can limited resources be leveraged for growth? - When does scarcity become detrimental? A Different Perspective Financial strain can also cause stress and poor decisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mediocrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mediocrity/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) ## Related quotes > [“A father from New Zealand, Harry Parke of Cambridge, told a group of fathers, "My wife and I figured that by nursing our first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-leche-league-international/a-father-from-new-zealand-harry-parke-of-cambridge-told-a-group-of/) La Leche League International > [After quitting radio I was able to live on the money I saved on aspirins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/after-quitting-radio-i-was-able-to-live-on-the-money-i-saved-on/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [“I wish I had money now. If only I’d saved my allowance growing up, instead of squandering it on balls, balloons, booze, and floozies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-wish-i-had-money-now-if-only-i-d-saved-my-allowance-growing-up/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I didn't take anything from anyone - first of all. Second of all, I opened a comedy club with money that I saved over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovitz/i-didn-t-take-anything-from-anyone-first-of-all-second-of-all-i/) [Jon Lovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovitz/) > [My eight-year-old bought a bicycle with the money he saved by not smoking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-diller/my-eight-year-old-bought-a-bicycle-with-the-money-he-saved-by-not/) [Phyllis Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-diller/) > [Having money might not buy happiness, but how you spend it could actually make a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-k-smith/having-money-might-not-buy-happiness-but-how-you-spend-it-could/) [Ian K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-k-smith/) > [Sometimes, I think having less money can lead to more artistry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sven-nykvist/sometimes-i-think-having-less-money-can-lead-to-more-artistry/) Sven Nykvist > [I don't know what to do with it. I'm very fortunate to have it, and it gives you room to maneuver. But the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-radcliffe/i-don-t-know-what-to-do-with-it-i-m-very-fortunate-to-have-it-and-it/) [Daniel Radcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-radcliffe/) > [Having money gives me the freedom to worry about the things that really matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/having-money-gives-me-the-freedom-to-worry-about-the-things-that/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) > [I think for some people real success would mean having all the money in the world and having everyone love you every minute of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-d-erasmo/i-think-for-some-people-real-success-would-mean-having-all-the-money/) Stacey D'Erasmo > [I didn't grow up in the slums or anything that dire, but I know what it is to grow up without having money or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ory-okolloh/i-didn-t-grow-up-in-the-slums-or-anything-that-dire-but-i-know-what/) [Ory Okolloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ory-okolloh/) > [I've always been terrified about not having money. I've been a big saver and a big earner. When I've been out of work, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherie-lunghi/i-ve-always-been-terrified-about-not-having-money-i-ve-been-a-big/) [Cherie Lunghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherie-lunghi/) > [“It’s not about working for money, it’s about having money work for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/it-s-not-about-working-for-money-it-s-about-having-money-work-for-you/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [Walker's Law: There are few things made harder in this world by having money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-walker/walker-s-law-there-are-few-things-made-harder-in-this-world-by-having/) Charlie Walker > [It's silly to have as one's sole object in life just making money, accumulating wealth. I work because I enjoy what I'm doing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/it-s-silly-to-have-as-one-s-sole-object-in-life-just-making-money/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) ## More by Terry Gilliam > [The English are such a frightened, nervous, insecure group of people - they no longer rule the world!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/the-english-are-such-a-frightened-nervous-insecure-group-of-people/) [Terry Gilliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gilliam/) > [Well, I really want to encourage a kind of fantasy, a kind of magic. I love the term magic realism, whoever invented it –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/well-i-really-want-to-encourage-a-kind-of-fantasy-a-kind-of-magic-i/) [Terry Gilliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gilliam/) > [I was doing political cartoons and getting angry to the point where I felt I was going to have to start making and throwing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/i-was-doing-political-cartoons-and-getting-angry-to-the-point-where-i/) [Terry Gilliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gilliam/) > [I'm trying to escape by forming my own kind of world. Basically, I'm trying to encourage others to do the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/i-m-trying-to-escape-by-forming-my-own-kind-of-world-basically-i-m/) [Terry Gilliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gilliam/) > [Hyperbole is something Id better avoid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/hyperbole-is-something-id-better-avoid/) [Terry Gilliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gilliam/) > [I was getting frustrated with America. It's interesting how as simple a thing as, like, letting your hair grow longer changed in the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/i-was-getting-frustrated-with-america-it-s-interesting-how-as-simple/) [Terry Gilliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gilliam/) > [I'm overwhelmed by writers. Most people aren't impressed by writers, but if you can draw a cartoon or a picture, they think you're magic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/i-m-overwhelmed-by-writers-most-people-aren-t-impressed-by-writers/) [Terry Gilliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gilliam/) > [Nobody went to see Tideland! I was hoping people would get angry about it but those that saw it didn't want to talk about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/nobody-went-to-see-tideland-i-was-hoping-people-would-get-angry-about/) [Terry Gilliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gilliam/) > [Fantasy isn't just a jolly escape: It's an escape, but into something far more extreme than reality, or normality. It's where things are more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/fantasy-isn-t-just-a-jolly-escape-it-s-an-escape-but-into-something/) [Terry Gilliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gilliam/) > [It's hard for me to worry about the studios losing money. I'm not very sympathetic to their money problems, because they certainly haven't been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/it-s-hard-for-me-to-worry-about-the-studios-losing-money-i-m-not-very/) [Terry Gilliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gilliam/) > [Hyperbole is something I'd better avoid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/hyperbole-is-something-i-d-better-avoid/) [Terry Gilliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gilliam/) > [When it came to slaughtering sacred cows with such crude yet perfect musical precision, there was no one better than Frank. I wonder what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/when-it-came-to-slaughtering-sacred-cows-with-such-crude-yet-perfect/) [Terry Gilliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gilliam/) > [I've given up asking questions. l merely float on a tsunami of acceptance of anything life throws at me ... and marvel stupidly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/i-ve-given-up-asking-questions-l-merely-float-on-a-tsunami-of/) [Terry Gilliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gilliam/) > [You know the hardest thing to do in Hollywood is burn bridges. There is usually some sucker who still likes me. There is usually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/you-know-the-hardest-thing-to-do-in-hollywood-is-burn-bridges-there/) [Terry Gilliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gilliam/) > [Once the voices are in your head, it's either make a movie or kill a lot of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/once-the-voices-are-in-your-head-it-s-either-make-a-movie-or-kill-a/) [Terry Gilliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gilliam/) [Explore all 88 Terry Gilliam quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gilliam/) ## More Enough quotes > [I guess at it's very core love is connection that just makes so much sense you wonder how you used to live before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-stone/i-guess-at-it-s-very-core-love-is-connection-that-just-makes-so-much/) [Benjamin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-stone/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I've been lucky enough to, for the most part, surround myself with a lot of people who are more talented than me and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/i-ve-been-lucky-enough-to-for-the-most-part-surround-myself-with-a/) [Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/) > [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/) Rena Kornreich Gelissen > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [The vast majority of organizations today have more than enough intelligence, experience and knowledge to be successful. What they lack is organizational health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/the-vast-majority-of-organizations-today-have-more-than-enough/) [Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I've been to Manchester enough to know it's a real place. It's not Factory Records and the Smiths bicycling around. I get it. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-murphy/i-ve-been-to-manchester-enough-to-know-it-s-a-real-place-it-s-not/) [James Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-murphy/) > [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/) [Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/) > [Sam dropped me off. When she was too far away to see me, I started to cry again. Because she was my friend again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/sam-dropped-me-off-when-she-was-too-far-away-to-see-me-i-started-to/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [New York is large, glamorous, easy-going, kindly and incurious, but above all it is a crucible - because it is large enough to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/new-york-is-large-glamorous-easy-going-kindly-and-incurious-but-above/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) Browse all 23,898 Enough quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've always sworn that not having enough money has saved me from mediocrity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terry Gilliam" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/i-ve-always-sworn-that-not-having-enough-money-has-saved-me-from/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Enough" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/i-ve-always-sworn-that-not-having-enough-money-has-saved-me-from/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/terry-gilliam-7704_enough_i-ve-always-sworn-that-not-having-enough_2541057.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/terry-gilliam-7704_enough_i-ve-always-sworn-that-not-having-enough_2541057.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/terry-gilliam-7704_enough_i-ve-always-sworn-that-not-having-enough_2541057.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've always sworn that not having enough money has saved me from mediocrity.” — Terry Gilliam", "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": "Terry Gilliam", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gilliam/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've always sworn that not having...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/i-ve-always-sworn-that-not-having-enough-money-has-saved-me-from/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/i-ve-always-sworn-that-not-having-enough-money-has-saved-me-from/#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 } } ] } ```