--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A poor old man held the winning ticket on…" description: "\"A poor old man held the winning ticket on a half million dollar lottery. Hearing the old man might be surprised at the shock, the local pastor was aske..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/art-linkletter-17703_break_a-poor-old-man-held-the-winning-ticket-o_2877700.jpg" --- # A poor old man held the winning ticket on a half million… ![“A poor old man held the winning ticket on a half million dollar lottery. Hearing the old man might be surprised at the shock, the local pastor was asked to break the news gradually. The pastor made a customary call, and while visiting casually asked the old man what he would do with a half million…” quote by Art Linkletter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/art-linkletter-17703_break_a-poor-old-man-held-the-winning-ticket-o_2877700.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/art-linkletter-17703_break_a-poor-old-man-held-the-winning-ticket-o_2877700.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/art-linkletter-17703_break_a-poor-old-man-held-the-winning-ticket-o_2877700.jpg) > “A poor old man held the winning ticket on a half million dollar lottery. Hearing the old man might be surprised at the shock, the local pastor was asked to break the news gradually. The pastor made a customary call, and while visiting casually asked the old man what he would do with a half million dollars if he had it. The old man replied, "why, I'd give half of it to you." Whereupon the pastor dropped dead.” [Art Linkletter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-linkletter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A generous offer can mask hidden danger, leading to unexpected tragedy. **In simple terms:** Kindness may hide peril. Key Takeaway Beware of unintended consequences. Themes generosity trust deception mortality risk Mood cautionary reflective Type folklore anecdotal When to use this quote - charitable acts - financial advice - community leadership Key Concepts moral dilemmas human behavior unexpected outcomes Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards can protect against hidden threats? - When should generosity be tempered? A Different Perspective Assuming goodwill without caution can be fatal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dollars/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [Half Pastor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half-pastor-3970120/) [Hearing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearing/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Local Pastor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/local-pastor-2275259/) [Locals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/locals/) [Lottery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lottery/) [Lottery Hearing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lottery-hearing-3970121/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Million Dollar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/million-dollar/) [Million dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/million-dollars/) [Millions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/millions/) [News](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news/) [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Pastor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pastor/) [Pastor Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pastor-asked-2135257/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shock/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Tickets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tickets/) [Visiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visiting/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) ## Related quotes > [I want a janitor, a school teacher, the local pastor, whomever is involved in the community to sit at the table and to pick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-biden/i-want-a-janitor-a-school-teacher-the-local-pastor-whomever-is/) [Ashley Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-biden/) > [As a pastor, you get asked questions and receive emails. 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