Drink Quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
““Good morning," said the little prince. Good morning," said the merchant. This was a merchant who sold pills that had been invented to quench thirst. You need only swallow one pill a week, and you would feel no need for anything to drink. Why are you selling those?" asked the little prince. Because they save a tremendous amount of time," said the merchant. "Computations have been made by experts. With these pills, you save fifty-three minutes in every week." And what do I do with those fifty-three minutes?" Anything you like..." As for me," said the little prince to himself, "if I had fifty-three minutes to spend as I liked, I should walk at my leisure toward a spring of fresh water.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint‑Exupéry, 1943
The Little Prince questions the value of time, questioning shortcuts that promise efficiency but strip away meaningful experience.
In simple terms: Time saved by shortcuts can empty life of meaning.
Key Takeaway
Choose experiences over empty efficiency.
Themes
time
efficiency
meaning
choice
freedom
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- daily routines
- technology reliance
- personal priorities
Key Concepts
philosophical
existential
critical thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- What would you do with extra time?
- Do shortcuts truly improve life?
A Different Perspective
Efficiency can lead to loss of depth and joy.
![“4. Man is neither Good-natured nor Bad-natured according to Su Shih (So-shoku).[FN#164] The difficulty may be avoided by a theory given by Su Shih and other scholars influenced by Buddhism, which maintains that man is neither good-natured nor bad-natured. According to this opinion man is not moral…” quote by Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/83c/kaiten-nukariya-793_buddhism_4-man-is-neither-good-natured-nor-bad-na_100937.jpg)
