Moreover, men take up that profession, not in order to help others out of their miseries, but to enrich themselves. It is one of the avenues of becoming wealthy and their interest exists in multiplying disputes. It is within my knowledge that they are glad when men have disputes. Petty pleaders actually manufacture them. Their touts, like so many leeches, suck the blood of the poor people. Lawyers are men who have little to do. Lazy people, in order to indulge in luxuries, take up such professions. This is a true statement. Any other argument is a mere pretension. It is the lawyers who have discovered that theirs is an honourable profession. They frame laws as they frame their own praises. They decide what fees they will charge and they put on so much side that poor people almost consider them to be heaven-born.

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Probable attribution

This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.

Likely origin: 'Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule' (1909), chapter on the condition of India / lawyers.

About this quote

When a livelihood is built on conflict, the people in it quietly gain from keeping conflict alive. Disputes get stretched rather than settled, because settlement ends the fee. It's worth asking, of any service you lean on, whether the person's income grows when your problem is solved or when it lingers.

When to use it

  • A repair shop paid per visit has little reason to fix a car for good.
  • A consultant billing by the hour benefits when a project drags on instead of closing.
  • A subscription that's hard to cancel earns more the longer the confusion lasts.