--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Am I right in suggesting that ordinary…" description: "\"“Am I right in suggesting that ordinary life is a mean between these extremes, that the noble man devotes his material wealth to lofty ends, the advanc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c91/aleister-crowley-1100_art_am-i-right-in-suggesting-that-ordinary-l_1915757.jpg" --- # Am I right in suggesting that ordinary life is a mean… ![“Am I right in suggesting that ordinary life is a mean between these extremes, that the noble man devotes his material wealth to lofty ends, the advancement of science, or art, or some such true ideal; and that the base man does the opposite by concentrating all his abilities on the amassing of…” quote by Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c91/aleister-crowley-1100_art_am-i-right-in-suggesting-that-ordinary-l_1915757.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c91/aleister-crowley-1100_art_am-i-right-in-suggesting-that-ordinary-l_1915757.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c91/aleister-crowley-1100_art_am-i-right-in-suggesting-that-ordinary-l_1915757.jpg) > ““Am I right in suggesting that ordinary life is a mean between these extremes, that the noble man devotes his material wealth to lofty ends, the advancement of science, or art, or some such true ideal; and that the base man does the opposite by concentrating all his abilities on the amassing of wealth?' Exactly; that is the real distinction between the artist and the bourgeois, or, if you prefer it, between the gentleman and the cad. Money, and the things money can buy, have no value, for there is no question of creation, but only of exchange. Houses, lands, gold, jewels, even existing works of art, may be tossed about from one hand to another; they are so, constantly. But neither you nor I can write a sonnet; and what we have, our appreciation of art, we did not buy. We inherited the germ of it, and we developed it by the sweat of our brows. The possession of money helped us, but only by giving us time and opportunity and the means of travel. Anyhow, the principle is clear; one must sacrifice the lower to the higher, and, as the Greeks did with their oxen, one must fatten and bedeck the lower, so that it may be the worthier offering.”” [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The noble individual should use material resources to pursue higher ideals like science or art, while the base individual focuses solely on wealth accumulation, which lacks intrinsic value. **In simple terms:** Use wealth for higher purpose, not just accumulation. Key Takeaway Prioritize higher ideals over material gain. Themes philosophy ethics wealth art science human nature Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - career planning - art patronage - academic research - philanthropy - personal development Key Concepts materialism idealism value hierarchy social class Questions to Reflect On - What higher purpose could your resources serve? - How do you balance material needs with idealistic goals? A Different Perspective Wealth can also enable lower pursuits, blurring the distinction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Material wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/material-wealth/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Morals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morals/) [Noble man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noble-man/) [Ordinary life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordinary-life/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) ## Related quotes > [“He who spends all his time amassing wealth is a slave to it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chr-tien-de-troyes/he-who-spends-all-his-time-amassing-wealth-is-a-slave-to-it/) [Chrétien de Troyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chr-tien-de-troyes/) > [Today we are raised with the notion that to be secure is to be financially autonomous. 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You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. 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Exactly; that is the real distinction between the artist and the bourgeois, or, if you prefer it, between the gentleman and the cad. Money, and the things money can buy, have no value, for there is no question of creation, but only of exchange. Houses, lands, gold, jewels, even existing works of art, may be tossed about from one hand to another; they are so, constantly. But neither you nor I can write a sonnet; and what we have, our appreciation of art, we did not buy. We inherited the germ of it, and we developed it by the sweat of our brows. The possession of money helped us, but only by giving us time and opportunity and the means of travel. 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