"You can have everything in the world, but if you don't have your health, you have nothing"
About this Quote
The intent is practical, almost managerial: remember the constraint that cannot be bought back at market rate. In an economy trained to treat every problem as outsourceable, the quote insists there’s no true substitute or insurance policy for a body that won’t cooperate. The subtext is a critique of the dealmaker’s dopamine loop - the constant pursuit of more, the assumption that comfort equals control. Health punctures that illusion. It’s the one domain where power is conditional, where wealth can improve odds but can’t guarantee outcomes.
Context matters: postwar generations in the business world often learned, late, that prosperity can accelerate self-neglect. Long hours, stress, status travel, rich food, poor sleep - the classic executive bargain that looks rational until it doesn’t. Gillett’s construction works because it uses the language of accumulation to deliver an anti-accumulation message. It’s not saying money doesn’t matter. It’s saying money without functioning life is a trophy you can’t lift.
Quote Details
| Topic | Health |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Gillett, George. (2026, January 14). You can have everything in the world, but if you don't have your health, you have nothing. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-can-have-everything-in-the-world-but-if-you-171625/
Chicago Style
Gillett, George. "You can have everything in the world, but if you don't have your health, you have nothing." FixQuotes. January 14, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-can-have-everything-in-the-world-but-if-you-171625/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"You can have everything in the world, but if you don't have your health, you have nothing." FixQuotes, 14 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-can-have-everything-in-the-world-but-if-you-171625/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.






