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In the peculiar fate of people that makes them fat and…

“In the peculiar fate of people that makes them fat and rich, when this happens very swiftly there is the menace of the dreamy state that plunders their reality. Let's say that anyway old age and death would come, so why shouldn't the passage be comfortable? But this proposal doesn't make a firm…” quote by Saul Bellow
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““In the peculiar fate of people that makes them fat and rich, when this happens very swiftly there is the menace of the dreamy state that plunders their reality. Let's say that anyway old age and death would come, so why shouldn't the passage be comfortable? But this proposal doesn't make a firm mind, in the strange area where things swim too fast. Against this trouble thought may be a remedy; force of person is another one, and money and big-scale lavishness, unpierceable concreteness, organizational deeds. So there are these various remedies and many more, older ones, but you don't actually have full choice among all the varieties, especially those older ones of the invisible world. Most people make do with what they have, and labor in their given visible world, and this has its own stubborn merit.””

Saul Bellow

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Wealth and rapid success can create a detached, dreamlike state that blurs reality, but individuals can counteract it through personal strength, tangible achievements, and practical labor.

In simple terms: Riches can cloud perception; work and resolve ground us.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate practical discipline and purposeful work.

Themes

wealth success reality discipline labor

Mood

reflective serious thoughtful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

  • career advancement
  • financial planning
  • personal development
  • community service
  • spiritual practice

Key Concepts

materialism psychology existentialism

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you stay grounded when success comes quickly?
  • What practical habits keep you connected to reality?
A Different Perspective

Rapid wealth may foster complacency and loss of purpose if not balanced with meaningful action.

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