“Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important.” Is this a genuine TS Eliot quote?

Question

Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important.

This quote has been attributed to TS Eliot, but I can't find any sources for it outside lists of inspirational quotes, and self-help books. Does anyone know if he did actually say or write this? If so, when/where?

Answer 1

It is not a word-for-word match, but in his 1949 work The Cocktail Party, Eliot wrote:

Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important.

The full text is available from the Internet Archive.