Jose Marti: Money Trust Thief

Jose Marti Money Quote saying a trust fund trustee who abuses the funds they control for others is committing theft. Jose Marti said:
 

 

“He who receives money in trust to administer for the benefit of its owner, and uses it either for his own interest or against the wishes of its rightful owner, is a thief” — Jose Marti

This quote from Cuban poet and revolutionary Jose Marti suggests that anyone entrusted with money belonging to another person has a duty to use it solely as intended by the rightful owner. Using the money for one’s own benefit or contrary to the owner’s wishes would constitute theft, even if done through legal but unethical means.

A deeper interpretation could be that Marti saw fiduciary responsibility as an important ethical principle – those given financial power or authority over others’ assets have a moral obligation to act with the highest integrity and solely for the benefit of the true owners.

The quote highlights how misuse or misappropriation of funds given in trust can be considered a form of theft, even if not strictly illegal.

Birthday: January 28, 1853 – Death: May 19, 1895

Sitting Bull: Stole a Penny

Sitting Bull Money Quote saying no white men can say Sitting Bull stole anything from them, but he is called a thief. Sitting Bull said:
 

 

“What white man can say I never stole his land or a penny of his money? Yet they say that I am a thief” — Sitting Bull

This quote from Sitting Bull suggests that he never stole land or money from white settlers, yet was still accused of being a thief.

He seems to be pointing out the hypocrisy and injustice of the white settlers taking Native American land and accusing Indigenous people like himself of theft, when in reality it was the settlers who were stealing from the Native Americans by seizing their territory without consent or compensation.

The quote highlights Sitting Bull’s perspective that the white settlers were the real thieves, not the Native Americans, as the settlers forcibly took possession of Indigenous lands and resources without legitimate claim or right to do so according to Native customs and laws.

Birthday: c. 1837 – Death: December 15, 1890

Pearl S. Buck: Hunger Makes a Thief

Pearl S. Buck Money Quote saying anyone who would prefer survival to perishing will steal when hungry enough. Pearl S. Buck said:
 

 

“Hunger makes a thief of any man” — Pearl S. Buck

This quote from author Pearl S. Buck suggests that hunger or the lack of access to food can drive anyone, no matter their character, to steal or take actions they otherwise would not in order to satisfy that basic human need.

The deeper interpretation is that extreme deprivation of necessities like food may compromise an individual’s ethics or moral principles in a moment of desperation. The quote highlights how hunger represents a powerful motivator that can override one’s normal inhibitions against theft or unlawful behavior as a last resort means of survival when all other options are exhausted.

It conveys how the experience of hunger may help explain if not excuse acts of theft committed solely to alleviate severe malnutrition when alternative means are unavailable.

Birthday: June 26, 1892 – Death: March 6, 1973

William Blake: Distress of a Thief

William Blake Money Quote saying any thief could be said to be in financial distress, but that need for money can’t be said to cause his theivery. William Blake said:
 

 

“Want of money and the distress of a thief can never be alleged as the cause of his thieving, for many honest people endure greater hardships with fortitude. We must therefore seek the cause elsewhere than in want of money, for that is the miser’s passion, not the thief’s” — William Blake

This quote from William Blake suggests that lack of money or financial hardship alone cannot fully explain or justify why someone chooses to steal or become a thief. While honest people may endure significant want or distress without resorting to crime, Blake acknowledges that extreme deprivation could potentially compromise one’s ethics in rare cases.

However, he asserts that most theft is motivated by something other than mere necessity, such as a passion for acquiring money or possessions in excess of what is truly needed. A deeper interpretation is that Blake saw greed and temptation as more common underlying causes of theft than simple survival, challenging the notion that all criminals can be explained or excused by their circumstances alone.

The quote highlights how Blake believed theft usually stems from internal vices or character flaws rather than solely external conditions of poverty or want.

Birthday: November 28, 1757 – Death: August 12, 1827

Vanya Cohen: Robbery & Taxation Thieves

Vanya Cohen Money Quotation saying the entire federal government constitutes a frightening hoard standing at the ready to collect from all income. Vanya Cohen said:
 

 

“When there’s a single thief, it’s robbery. When there are a thousand thieves, it’s taxation” — Vanya Cohen

Vanya Cohen seems to be drawing a distinction between individual criminal acts versus widespread, institutionalized confiscation of wealth by the state.

The quote suggests that a single bad actor stealing (“a single thief”) is rightly called “robbery,” while a large group in positions of power doing the same thing through legislation and enforcement (“a thousand thieves”) is euphemistically termed “taxation.”

Cohen appears to be implying that the end result – taking money and property from citizens against their will – is similar regardless of scale or legality.

So in essence, the message seems to be that what constitutes “theft” may depend more on who is doing the taking rather than the nature of the act itself.

Henny Youngman: Stolen Credit Card Bargain

Funny Money Quotes: Sometimes bad guys who steal want to be more unobtrusive and careful with their spending than family who spend freely expecting you won’t notice. Henny Youngman said:
 

 

“Someone stole all my credit cards, but I won’t be reporting it. The thief spends less than my wife did” — Henny Youngman

In this humorous quote, comedian Henny Youngman is joking about his wife’s spending habits. When someone stole all his credit cards but he won’t report it because the thief spends less money than his wife did, Youngman is comically exaggerating that his wife spent so lavishly it would be a financial relief for someone else to be using the cards instead.

The interpretation is that Youngman is playfully teasing that his wife spent exorbitantly, to the point that having his identity stolen would paradoxically save him money compared to her expenditures on the cards. Overall, the quote is meant as a lighthearted joke about his perspective on his wife overspending on credit.

Birthday: March 16, 1906 – Death: February 24, 1998