“Lack of money is the root of all evil.”
– George Bernard Shaw
People can be pushed to their moral limits in pursuit of money. They can be pushed beyond them, forget their true values, and perform heinous, desperate acts out of fear of lack of money.
Holding money above all else for as long as our society has has created generations of greedy individuals, and we have repeatedly rewarded greed, by praising the ability to take advantage of people as a certain strain of ingenuity, and by giving the greediest among us a higher platform, political seats, and unspoken power to further their agenda.
Money is harmless, but the fear of lack of money can create wars and decimate whole nations of people.
Check out some of our other quotes
Related Reading: Reflect on the Charles Darwin quote, it is not the strongest, and its lesson on adaptability.
What “Lack of Money Is the Root of All Evil” Really Means
The line “lack of money is the root of all evil” is a deliberate inversion of the far more familiar saying, “the love of money is the root of all evil.” George Bernard Shaw used it to make an uncomfortable point: that poverty itself, not wealth, is what most often corners people into desperation, crime, and broken communities. Where the traditional proverb warns against greed, Shaw flips the lens toward scarcity, arguing that a society which tolerates poverty manufactures much of the harm it later condemns.
Where the quote comes from
Shaw (1856–1950) was an Irish playwright and critic who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925. The sentiment appears in his 1905 play Major Barbara, where the armaments magnate Undershaft insists that poverty is the worst of crimes because of everything it forces people to do. You can read more about Shaw and his work through Britannica’s biography of George Bernard Shaw, and compare his line directly with the original verse in 1 Timothy 6:10.
The practical lesson for your own finances
Stripped of its provocation, Shaw’s idea is a nudge toward financial security as a form of freedom. Building even a small cushion reduces the fear that drives bad decisions. If you feel stuck, our guide why am I poor and how to break the cycle is a grounded place to start, and the timeless thrift in Benjamin Franklin’s “a penny saved is a penny earned” still holds up. For mindset, weigh Shaw against Erich Fromm on who is truly rich, P.T. Barnum on making money your servant, and the blunt realism of “having money isn’t everything, not having it is.”
Key Takeaways
- The quote intentionally reverses “the love of money is the root of all evil” to spotlight poverty rather than greed.
- George Bernard Shaw expressed the idea in his 1905 play Major Barbara.
- The takeaway is not that money is good or evil, but that financial insecurity removes choices and pressures people toward harm.
- Building modest financial stability is, in Shaw’s framing, a moral as well as a practical good.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who said “lack of money is the root of all evil”?
The line is attributed to George Bernard Shaw, the Irish playwright and 1925 Nobel laureate, who voiced the idea in his play Major Barbara. It is a deliberate twist on the biblical proverb about the love of money.
Is it “lack of money” or “love of money” that is the root of all evil?
The original saying, from 1 Timothy 6:10, is “the love of money is the root of all evil.” Shaw rewrote it as “lack of money” to argue that poverty, not wealth, causes most desperation and wrongdoing. Both versions are quoted today, which is exactly why they are so often confused.
What is the deeper meaning of Shaw’s version?
Shaw used the reversal to challenge readers to treat poverty as a social problem with real moral consequences, rather than blaming individuals. On a personal level, the message is that securing your finances protects your integrity by removing fear-driven choices.
Related Reading: For another timeless take on money worries, read the Adam Smith money quote on the scarcity of money.
Related Reading: For a more hopeful view, see the power of positive thinking on why empty pockets never hold us back.
Related Reading: A complementary view on control and wealth: money is a great servant but a bad master.
