The man is really looking for self-esteem, and he seeks to find it by winning the esteem of others. In our society, the fastest and surest way to do this is by amassing a great deal of money. So the money becomes a substitute, a symbol, for the esteem.

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About Sydney J. Harris

Sydney J. Harris (14 September 1917 in London – 8 December 1986 in Chicago) was a syndicated essayist and drama critic.

Biography information from Wikiquote

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Additional quotes by Sydney J. Harris

It’s surprising how many persons go through life without ever recognizing that their feelings toward other people are largely determined by their feelings toward themselves, and if you’re not comfortable within yourself, you can’t be comfortable with others.

Achieving the good life is more a matter of being than of doing or giving. It calls for intense self-scrutiny, a relentless honesty about one's motives, and a persistent feeling that we are no better — and perhaps worse — than those we are trying to help.