“The world has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed.”
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Misattributed quote
Snopes, Barry Popik and the Times of India ('Misquotes that Bapu is forced to wear') conclude no version of this pithy line is authentically Gandhi; the aphoristic form traces to Frank Buchman, with only a secondhand Pyarelal attribution linking it to Gandhi.
Likely origin: Pithy 'need not greed' form is documented for Frank Buchman (founder of Moral Re-Armament): 'There is enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed.' Gandhi's secretary Pyarelal reported a version secondhand (1958), but no CWMG source exists.
Review the attribution sourceAbout this quote
This 'need not greed' line isn't found in his writings; the pithy form is documented for Frank Buchman of Moral Re-Armament, and only a secondhand 1958 report ties it to him. The point still holds: scarcity is often manufactured by hoarding, not by any real shortage of what people actually require.
When to use it
- A shared office fridge that stays stocked when people take only what they'll eat, and empties the moment a few start stockpiling.
- During a drought, rationing covers every household fine until neighbors begin hoarding water far beyond their needs.
- A family budget that comfortably supports everyone until one member's runaway spending strains the whole household.