Painterly closed leather wallet secured by a metal chain and padlock

Original artwork, not a still

Lou Mannheim

The main thing about money, Bud, is that it makes you do things you don't want to do.

— Wall Street

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

Money is described through the pressure it places on choice. The problem is not simply wanting more, but being drawn into actions that conflict with what someone would otherwise choose. The warning makes financial influence personal, locating its cost in the compromises a person is persuaded to make.

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