It's been a very long game of "telephone" with that phrase. The original wording was...
"Blindly craving wealth (also: gold, value), lacking temperance by self control, consideration (for/of others) and wisdom, is a common source of unlimited corruption (equally likely: self destruction)." Of course that's a rather difficult translation since the exact meaning of the words was variable in some sense... some of them could mean different things depending on information unavailable to my source, so that's the most accurate translation I can offer, statistically.
Over time and through translation and intentional and unintentional manipulation, it has come to be "The love of money is the root of all evil." That is largely in the effort at manipulating those who had wealth, and thus power, to willingly and happily give it to a certain group of power and wealth hungry individuals, as well as in a misguided effort to (over) simplify it for "the common man" to understand.
The origin was, I am told, the observation of an ancient king wishing to purge his kingdom of crime based on this issue.
"Blindly craving wealth (also: gold, value), lacking temperance by self control, consideration (for/of others) and wisdom, is a common source of unlimited corruption (equally likely: self destruction)." Of course that's a rather difficult translation since the exact meaning of the words was variable in some sense... some of them could mean different things depending on information unavailable to my source, so that's the most accurate translation I can offer, statistically.
Over time and through translation and intentional and unintentional manipulation, it has come to be "The love of money is the root of all evil." That is largely in the effort at manipulating those who had wealth, and thus power, to willingly and happily give it to a certain group of power and wealth hungry individuals, as well as in a misguided effort to (over) simplify it for "the common man" to understand.
The origin was, I am told, the observation of an ancient king wishing to purge his kingdom of crime based on this issue.
Subliminal Audio Specialist & Administrator
The scientist has a question to find an answer for. The pseudo-scientist has an answer to find a question for. ~ "Failure is the path of least persistence." - Chinese Fortune Cookie ~ Logic left. Emotion right. But thinking, straight ahead. ~ Sperate supra omnia in valorem. (The value of trust is above all else.) ~ Meowsomeness!
The scientist has a question to find an answer for. The pseudo-scientist has an answer to find a question for. ~ "Failure is the path of least persistence." - Chinese Fortune Cookie ~ Logic left. Emotion right. But thinking, straight ahead. ~ Sperate supra omnia in valorem. (The value of trust is above all else.) ~ Meowsomeness!
