It put our energies
â
It put our energies to sleep and made visionaries of us
dreamers and indolent...
It is good to begin life poor;
it is good to begin life rich
these are wholesome;
but to begin it prospectively rich!
The man who has not experienced it cannot imagine the curse of it.
â
Meaning
This quote means expecting future wealth without yet possessing it can weaken character by encouraging laziness, fantasy, and passivity. Deferred riches can be a curse.
About Author
Mark Twain
Mark Twain, born Samuel Clemens, was an American author and humorist known for classics like Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. His quotes often reflect wit, social critique, and human insight. Twain inspires writers, readers, and social thinkers to explore human nature, challenge conventions, and communicate ideas with humor and intelligence.
Related Quotes
â Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul. â
This quote means loyalty to rigid old beliefs has never liberated anyone. Freedom often requires the courage to question inherited opinions.
â Work is a necessary evil to be avoided. â
This quote humorously treats work as an unfortunate necessity best minimized. It pokes fun at human laziness.
â Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising. â
This quote means advertising can magnify the importance of something small. Attention can create apparent significance.