--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The miser puts his gold pieces into a…" description: "\"The miser puts his gold pieces into a coffer; but as soon as the coffer is closed, it is as if it were empty.\" — Andre Gide" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b3/andre-gide-790_empty_the-miser-puts-his-gold-pieces-into-a-co_394295.png" --- # The miser puts his gold pieces into a coffer; but as soon… ![“The miser puts his gold pieces into a coffer; but as soon as the coffer is closed, it is as if it were empty.” quote by Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b3/andre-gide-790_empty_the-miser-puts-his-gold-pieces-into-a-co_394295.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b3/andre-gide-790_empty_the-miser-puts-his-gold-pieces-into-a-co_394295.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b3/andre-gide-790_empty_the-miser-puts-his-gold-pieces-into-a-co_394295.png) > “The miser puts his gold pieces into a coffer; but as soon as the coffer is closed, it is as if it were empty.” [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Accumulating wealth without using it feels empty; true value comes from sharing or spending. **In simple terms:** Money hoarded feels empty. Key Takeaway Use resources wisely. Themes generosity wealth fulfillment Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal finance - philanthropy - community building Key Concepts economics psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - How does hoarding affect your sense of purpose? - What can you share today? A Different Perspective Giving may be limited by scarcity or fear. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Coffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coffer-3550660/) [Coffer Closed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coffer-closed-3550657/) [Coffer Soon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coffer-soon-3550661/) [Empty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empty/) [Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Misers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misers/) [Pieces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pieces/) [Pieces Coffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pieces-coffer-3550659/) [Puts Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puts-gold-3550658/) ## Related quotes > [The coward regards himself as cautious, the miser as thrifty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/the-coward-regards-himself-as-cautious-the-miser-as-thrifty/) [Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/) > [You know that I love you." And despite herself, Coraline nodded. It was true. The other mother loved her. But she loved Coraline as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-know-that-i-love-you-and-despite-herself-coraline-nodded-it-was/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Giving with glad and generous hearts has a way of routing out the tough old miser within us. Even the poor need to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/giving-with-glad-and-generous-hearts-has-a-way-of-routing-out-the/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [People who are always taking care of their health are like misers, who are hoarding a treasure which they have never spirit enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-sterne/people-who-are-always-taking-care-of-their-health-are-like-misers-who/) [Laurence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-sterne/) > [No silver saints, by dying misers giv'n, Here brib'd the rage of ill-requited heav'n; But such plain roofs as Piety could raise, And only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/no-silver-saints-by-dying-misers-giv-n-here-brib-d-the-rage-of-ill/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [It is astonishing how much more anxious people are to lengthen life than to improve it; and as misers often lose large sums of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/it-is-astonishing-how-much-more-anxious-people-are-to-lengthen-life/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [“It’s age. It makes misers of us,” he said dolefully. “Counting out our lives in small change from a thinning purse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-maughan/it-s-age-it-makes-misers-of-us-he-said-dolefully-counting-out-our/) [Peter Maughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-maughan/) > [We Slovenians are even better misers than you Scottish. You know how Scotland began? One of us Slovenians was spending too much money, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/we-slovenians-are-even-better-misers-than-you-scottish-you-know-how/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [Mutability is the badge of infirmity. It is seldom that a man continues to wish and design the same thing two days alike. Now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-charron/mutability-is-the-badge-of-infirmity-it-is-seldom-that-a-man/) [Pierre Charron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-charron/) > [Never was a miser a brave soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/never-was-a-miser-a-brave-soul/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Misers are very kind people: they amass wealth for those who wish their death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanis-aw-i-leszczy-ski/misers-are-very-kind-people-they-amass-wealth-for-those-who-wish/) [Stanisław I Leszczyński](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanis-aw-i-leszczy-ski/) > [Contrary to popular belief, prosperity is an emotional state that has little to do with your wealth or the state of the economy. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-j-zelinski/contrary-to-popular-belief-prosperity-is-an-emotional-state-that-has/) [Ernie J Zelinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-j-zelinski/) > [Be watchful lest thou lose the power of desiring and loving what appeals to the soul this is the miser's curse this the chain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lancaster-spalding/be-watchful-lest-thou-lose-the-power-of-desiring-and-loving-what/) [John Lancaster Spalding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lancaster-spalding/) > [There is in even the most selfish passion a large element of self-abnegation. It is startling to realize that what we call extreme self-seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/there-is-in-even-the-most-selfish-passion-a-large-element-of-self/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Misers take care of property as if it belonged to them, but derive no more benefit from it than if it belonged to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-bion/misers-take-care-of-property-as-if-it-belonged-to-them-but-derive-no/) [Wilfred Bion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-bion/) ## More by Andre Gide > [Without mysticism man can achieve nothing great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/without-mysticism-man-can-achieve-nothing-great/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [“The things one feels are different about oneself are the things that are rare, that give each person their value - and these are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/the-things-one-feels-are-different-about-oneself-are-the-things-that/) [André Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [I believe that in every circumstance I have been able to see rather clearly the most advantageous course I could follow, which is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/i-believe-that-in-every-circumstance-i-have-been-able-to-see-rather/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [Know thyself. A maxim as pernicious as it is ugly. Whoever studies himself arrest his own development. A caterpillar who seeks to know himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/know-thyself-a-maxim-as-pernicious-as-it-is-ugly-whoever-studies/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [“There is a germ of revolt lying in the spirit of inquiry and critical curiosity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/there-is-a-germ-of-revolt-lying-in-the-spirit-of-inquiry-and-critical/) [André Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [Oh, would that my mind could let fall its dead ideas, as the tree does its withered leaves!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/oh-would-that-my-mind-could-let-fall-its-dead-ideas-as-the-tree-does/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [God lies ahead. I convince myself and constantly repeat to myself that: He depends on us. It is through us that God is achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/god-lies-ahead-i-convince-myself-and-constantly-repeat-to-myself-that/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [“Welcome everything that comes to you, but do not long for anything else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/welcome-everything-that-comes-to-you-but-do-not-long-for-anything-else/) [André Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [There are many things that seem impossible only so long as one does not attempt them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/there-are-many-things-that-seem-impossible-only-so-long-as-one-does/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [Envying another man's happiness is madness; you wouldn't know what to do with it if you had it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/envying-another-man-s-happiness-is-madness-you-wouldn-t-know-what-to/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [So long as we live among men, let us cherish humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/so-long-as-we-live-among-men-let-us-cherish-humanity/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [It is one of life's laws that as soon as one door closes another opens. But the tragedy is we look at the closed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/it-is-one-of-life-s-laws-that-as-soon-as-one-door-closes-another/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [“What would a narrative of happiness be like? All that can be described is what prepares it, and then what destroys it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/what-would-a-narrative-of-happiness-be-like-all-that-can-be-described/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [It is with noble sentiments that bad literature gets written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/it-is-with-noble-sentiments-that-bad-literature-gets-written/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [“C'est dans l'extraordinaire que je me sens le plus naturel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/c-est-dans-l-extraordinaire-que-je-me-sens-le-plus-naturel/) [André Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) [Explore all 304 Andre Gide quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) ## More Empty quotes > [How could anybody confuse truth with beauty, I thought as I looked at him. Truth came with sunken eyes, bony or scarred, decayed. 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