Business Quote by Thomas Bailey Aldrich
“The possession of gold has ruined fewer men than the lack of it. What noble enterprises have been checked and what fine souls have been blighted in the gloom of poverty the world will never know.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Story of a Country Town by Thomas Bailey Aldrich, 1883
Lack of money, not wealth, more often hinders noble deeds and harms good people.
In simple terms: Poverty blocks virtue more than wealth does.
Key Takeaway
Address poverty to enable noble pursuits.
Themes
poverty
ethics
social justice
Mood
somber
determined
Type
philosophical
motivational
When to use this quote
- charitable work
- policy making
- education access
- community support
Key Concepts
economic inequality
human potential
Questions to Reflect On
- What systems perpetuate poverty?
- How can resources be allocated to foster virtue?
A Different Perspective
Wealth can also corrupt; not all poverty is a barrier.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)