“Die Erde hat genug für jedermanns Bedürfnisse, aber nicht für jedermanns Gier.”
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Attribution note
The needs-vs-greed line is famously credited to Gandhi but is not found verbatim in his works; mkgandhi's own myths FAQ and Snopes note it was paraphrased by his secretary Pyarelal. This is a German version of that unsourced saying.
Likely origin: German rendering of 'Earth provides enough for every man's need but not every man's greed' — not verbatim Gandhi; popularized via Pyarelal, 'Mahatma Gandhi: The Last Phase' (1958).
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There's a line between need and greed, and the planet's supply sits comfortably above the first but far below the second. Shortages tend to trace back not to how much exists but to appetite that keeps expanding once need is already met. Holding wants near real need is what leaves enough for everyone else.
When to use it
- A shared office fridge stays stocked when people take a fair portion, and empties fast when a few overload their plates.
- A fishing town that agrees to catch limits keeps the waters productive for every boat.
- A household that shops to a weekly menu wastes little, while stockpiling ends in spoiled food.