--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Money is like manure; it's not worth a…" description: "\"Money is like manure; it's not worth a thing unless it's spread around encouraging young things to grow.\" — Thornton Wilder" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/thornton-wilder-1495_dissent_money-is-like-manure-it-s-not-worth-a-th_2212855.jpg" --- # Money is like manure; it's not worth a thing unless it's… ![“Money is like manure; it's not worth a thing unless it's spread around encouraging young things to grow.” quote by Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/thornton-wilder-1495_dissent_money-is-like-manure-it-s-not-worth-a-th_2212855.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/thornton-wilder-1495_dissent_money-is-like-manure-it-s-not-worth-a-th_2212855.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/thornton-wilder-1495_dissent_money-is-like-manure-it-s-not-worth-a-th_2212855.jpg) > “Money is like manure; it's not worth a thing unless it's spread around encouraging young things to grow.” [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Money only becomes valuable when it is shared to nurture growth and development in others. **In simple terms:** Share money to foster growth. Key Takeaway Invest in others to create value. Themes generosity wealth growth community mentorship Mood reflective encouraging Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - charitable giving - seed funding - education scholarships - community projects Key Concepts economics social impact investment philanthropy Questions to Reflect On - How can you effectively allocate resources to maximize impact? - What are creative ways to share wealth beyond money? A Different Perspective Wealth inequality may limit ability to share; not all sharing yields growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dissent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissent/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Generosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generosity/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Grows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grows/) [Like Manure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-manure-573938/) [Manure Worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manure-worth-4907205/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Money Is Like Manure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money-is-like-manure/) [Money Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money-like-553913/) [Patriotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism/) [Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich/) [Social justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-justice/) [Spread](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spread/) [Things Grow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-grow-582878/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) ## Related quotes > [Money is like manure; it’s not worth a thing unless it’s spread around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-astor/money-is-like-manure-it-s-not-worth-a-thing-unless-it-s-spread-around/) [Brooke Astor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-astor/) > [Money is like manure. It stinks when you pile it; it grows when you spread it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-d-tata/money-is-like-manure-it-stinks-when-you-pile-it-it-grows-when-you/) [J. R. D. Tata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-d-tata/) > [Money is like manure. It's most effective when it's spread around widely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-getty-jr/money-is-like-manure-it-s-most-effective-when-it-s-spread-around/) [John Paul Getty Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-getty-jr/) > [Money is like manure. If you spread it around, it does a lot of good, but if you pile it up in one place,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-murchison-jr/money-is-like-manure-if-you-spread-it-around-it-does-a-lot-of-good/) [Clint Murchison Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-murchison-jr/) > [Money is like manure; it should be spread around](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-astor/money-is-like-manure-it-should-be-spread-around/) [Brooke Astor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-astor/) > [Money is like manure: if you don't spread it around, nothing grows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-douglas/money-is-like-manure-if-you-don-t-spread-it-around-nothing-grows/) [Tom Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-douglas/) > [Money is like manure. You have to spread it around or it smells.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/money-is-like-manure-you-have-to-spread-it-around-or-it-smells/) [J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) > [Money is like manure, its only good if you spread it around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/money-is-like-manure-its-only-good-if-you-spread-it-around/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Money is like manure, you don't have to spread it around, you can just sell it to Potash Corp as fertilizer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/money-is-like-manure-you-don-t-have-to-spread-it-around-you-can-just/) [J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) > [Money is like manure, of very little use except it be spread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/money-is-like-manure-of-very-little-use-except-it-be-spread/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [“...your grace's words have been like manure spread on the barren ground of my dry and uncultivated mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes-saavedra/your-grace-s-words-have-been-like-manure-spread-on-the-barren-ground/) [Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes-saavedra/) > [The church is like manure. Pile it up, and it stinks up the neighborhood. Spread it out, and it enriches the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-palau/the-church-is-like-manure-pile-it-up-and-it-stinks-up-the/) [Luis Palau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-palau/) > [“Nanny's words made Janie's kiss across the gatepost seem like a manure pile after a rain”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/nanny-s-words-made-janie-s-kiss-across-the-gatepost-seem-like-a/) [Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/) > [Grief is like manure, if you spread it out it fertilizes, if you leave it in a big pile it smells like crap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-golden-jr/grief-is-like-manure-if-you-spread-it-out-it-fertilizes-if-you-leave/) [Thomas Golden, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-golden-jr/) > [Christians are like manure: spread them out and they help everything grow better, but keep them in one big pile and they stink horribly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/christians-are-like-manure-spread-them-out-and-they-help-everything/) [Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/) ## More by Thornton Wilder > [“He respected the slight nervous shadow that crossed her face when he came too near her. But there arose out of this denial itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/he-respected-the-slight-nervous-shadow-that-crossed-her-face-when-he/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [When you're safe at home you wish you were having an adventure; when you're having an adventure you wish you were safe at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/when-you-re-safe-at-home-you-wish-you-were-having-an-adventure-when/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [“Simon Stimson: "...That's what it was to be alive. To move about in a cloud of ignorance; to go up and down trampling on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/simon-stimson-that-s-what-it-was-to-be-alive-to-move-about-in-a-cloud/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [“Love as education is one of the great powers of the world, but it hangs in a delicate suspension; it achieves its harmony as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/love-as-education-is-one-of-the-great-powers-of-the-world-but-it/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [Many great writers have been extraordinarily awkward in daily exchange, but the greatest give the impression that their style was nursed by the closest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/many-great-writers-have-been-extraordinarily-awkward-in-daily/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [A man looks pretty small at a wedding, George. All those good women standing shoulder to shoulder, making sure that the knot's tied in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/a-man-looks-pretty-small-at-a-wedding-george-all-those-good-women/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [The knowledge that she would never be loved in return acted upon her ideas as a tide acts upon cliffs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/the-knowledge-that-she-would-never-be-loved-in-return-acted-upon-her/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [“But while they continued staring into one another’s face waiting for the miracle of science the pain grew worse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/but-while-they-continued-staring-into-one-another-s-face-waiting-for/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [I am convinced that, except in a few extraordinary cases, one form or another of an unhappy childhood is essential to the formation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/i-am-convinced-that-except-in-a-few-extraordinary-cases-one-form-or/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [Many who have spent a lifetime in it can tell us less of love than the child that lost a dog yesterday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/many-who-have-spent-a-lifetime-in-it-can-tell-us-less-of-love-than/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [“Cesar is not a philosophical man. His life has been one long flight from reflection. At least he is clever enough not to expose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/cesar-is-not-a-philosophical-man-his-life-has-been-one-long-flight/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [Every person who has ever lived has lived an unbroken succession of unique occasions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/every-person-who-has-ever-lived-has-lived-an-unbroken-succession-of/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [“Without your wounds where would your power be? It is your melancholy that makes your low voice tremble into the hearts of men and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/without-your-wounds-where-would-your-power-be-it-is-your-melancholy/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [Ninety-nine per cent of the people in the world are fools and the rest of us are in great danger of contagion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/ninety-nine-per-cent-of-the-people-in-the-world-are-fools-and-the/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [There's nothing like mixing with woman to bring out all the foolishness in a man of sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/there-s-nothing-like-mixing-with-woman-to-bring-out-all-the/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) [Explore all 232 Thornton Wilder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) ## More Dissent quotes > [Majority decisions tend to be made without engaging the systematic thought and critical thinking skills of the individuals in the group. Given the force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/majority-decisions-tend-to-be-made-without-engaging-the-systematic/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you want to live a meaningfully better life, you're going to have to make the dangerous choice to dissent. A life lived meaningfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/if-you-want-to-live-a-meaningfully-better-life-you-re-going-to-have/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) > [Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/never-be-afraid-to-raise-your-voice-for-honesty-and-truth-and/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [I find myself frequently placed where I dare give neither assent nor dissent to propositions that are submitted to me; for there is danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/i-find-myself-frequently-placed-where-i-dare-give-neither-assent-nor/) [Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/) > [The original crime of niggers and lesbians is that they prefer themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/the-original-crime-of-niggers-and-lesbians-is-that-they-prefer/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [It is dissent from government policies which defines the true Patriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/it-is-dissent-from-government-policies-which-defines-the-true-patriot/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [In America, you can segregate the people, but the problems will travel. From slavery to equal rights, from state suppression of dissent to crime,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-jordan/in-america-you-can-segregate-the-people-but-the-problems-will-travel/) [June Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-jordan/) > [America was born of revolt, flourished in dissent, became great through experimentation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/america-was-born-of-revolt-flourished-in-dissent-became-great-through/) [Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/) > [“I am aware that many object to the severity of my language; but is there not cause for severity? I will be as harsh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lloyd-garrison/i-am-aware-that-many-object-to-the-severity-of-my-language-but-is/) [William Lloyd Garrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lloyd-garrison/) > [In religion, it is not the sycophants or those who cling most faithfully to the status quo who are ultimately praised. It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/in-religion-it-is-not-the-sycophants-or-those-who-cling-most/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [“Protection, therefore, against tyranny of the magistrate is not enough: there needs protection also against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling; against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/protection-therefore-against-tyranny-of-the-magistrate-is-not-enough/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [The intolerant man will not rely on persuasion, or on the worth of the idea. He would deny to others the very freedom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/the-intolerant-man-will-not-rely-on-persuasion-or-on-the-worth-of-the/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [“That there must be heresies is true, not onely in our Church, but also in any other; even in Doctrines hereticall there will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/that-there-must-be-heresies-is-true-not-onely-in-our-church-but-also/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [In sum, the Court's conclusion that a constitutionally adequate recount is impractical is a prophecy the Court's own judgment will not allow to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/in-sum-the-court-s-conclusion-that-a-constitutionally-adequate/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [Lonely dissent doesn't feel like going to school dressed in black. It feels like going to school wearing a clown suit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/lonely-dissent-doesn-t-feel-like-going-to-school-dressed-in-black-it/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) [Browse all 440 Dissent quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissent/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Money is like manure; it's not worth a thing unless it's spread around encouraging young things to grow.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thornton Wilder" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/money-is-like-manure-it-s-not-worth-a-thing-unless-it-s-spread-around-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dissent" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/money-is-like-manure-it-s-not-worth-a-thing-unless-it-s-spread-around-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/thornton-wilder-1495_dissent_money-is-like-manure-it-s-not-worth-a-th_2212855.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/thornton-wilder-1495_dissent_money-is-like-manure-it-s-not-worth-a-th_2212855.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/thornton-wilder-1495_dissent_money-is-like-manure-it-s-not-worth-a-th_2212855.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Money is like manure; it's not worth a thing unless it's spread around encouraging young things to grow.” — Thornton Wilder", "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": "Thornton Wilder", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Money is like manure; it's not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/money-is-like-manure-it-s-not-worth-a-thing-unless-it-s-spread-around-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/money-is-like-manure-it-s-not-worth-a-thing-unless-it-s-spread-around-2/#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 } } ] } ```