--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A kind and generous man by nature, he had…" description: "\"“A kind and generous man by nature, he had stumbled, by chance, over that common Philosopher's stone (much more easily discovered than the object of th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/charles-dickens-34_generous-man_a-kind-and-generous-man-by-nature-he-had_792342.jpg" --- # A kind and generous man by nature, he had stumbled, by… ![“A kind and generous man by nature, he had stumbled, by chance, over that common Philosopher's stone (much more easily discovered than the object of the alchemist's researches), which sometimes trips up kind and generous men, and has the fatal property of turning gold to dross and every precious…” quote by Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/charles-dickens-34_generous-man_a-kind-and-generous-man-by-nature-he-had_792342.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/charles-dickens-34_generous-man_a-kind-and-generous-man-by-nature-he-had_792342.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/charles-dickens-34_generous-man_a-kind-and-generous-man-by-nature-he-had_792342.jpg) > ““A kind and generous man by nature, he had stumbled, by chance, over that common Philosopher's stone (much more easily discovered than the object of the alchemist's researches), which sometimes trips up kind and generous men, and has the fatal property of turning gold to dross and every precious thing to poor account.”” [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## 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 man discovers a seemingly easy shortcut to wealth, but it corrupts and devalues true worth **In simple terms:** A kind man finds a quick way to riches that turns precious things worthless Key Takeaway Beware shortcuts that seem easy but erode true value Themes greed corruption illusion human nature Mood cautionary philosophical Type literary moral When to use this quote - business deals - investment scams - quick‑fix solutions Key Concepts Alchemical metaphor moral lesson philosophical insight Questions to Reflect On - Can all shortcuts be detrimental? - What distinguishes a harmful shortcut from a helpful one? A Different Perspective It assumes all shortcuts are harmful, ignoring beneficial innovations ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Generous man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generous-man/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) ## Related quotes > [There is no door at which the hand of woman has knocked for admission into a new field of toil but there have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olive-schreiner/there-is-no-door-at-which-the-hand-of-woman-has-knocked-for-admission/) [Olive Schreiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olive-schreiner/) > [Truly generous men are always ready to become sympathetic when their enemy’s misfortune surpasses the limits of their hatred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/truly-generous-men-are-always-ready-to-become-sympathetic-when-their/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [Capable, generous men do not create victims, they nurture victims.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/capable-generous-men-do-not-create-victims-they-nurture-victims/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [Tom Cruise is one of the most wonderful, kind, and generous men that I've ever met.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-b-vance/tom-cruise-is-one-of-the-most-wonderful-kind-and-generous-men-that-i/) [Courtney B. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-b-vance/) > [“God is more generous than men and will measure them by a different standard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/god-is-more-generous-than-men-and-will-measure-them-by-a-different/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [“It doesn't matter how many times I chuck Philosopher's stone into the fireplace, another copy appears on the shelf like literary herpes”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juno-dawson/it-doesn-t-matter-how-many-times-i-chuck-philosopher-s-stone-into-the/) Juno Dawson > [Constant happiness is the philosopher's stone of the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/constant-happiness-is-the-philosopher-s-stone-of-the-soul/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Like the alchemist of old, for ever searching for the philosopher's stone, the analyst to-day never stops looking for stronger moves to prevent the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/savielly-tartakower/like-the-alchemist-of-old-for-ever-searching-for-the-philosopher-s/) [Savielly Tartakower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/savielly-tartakower/) > [The stone that was rolled before Christ's tomb might appropriately be called the philosopher's stone because its removal gave not only the pharisees but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/the-stone-that-was-rolled-before-christ-s-tomb-might-appropriately-be/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [It is curious to reflect, for example, upon the remarkable legend of the Philosopher's Stone, one of the oldest and most universal beliefs, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-soddy/it-is-curious-to-reflect-for-example-upon-the-remarkable-legend-of/) [Frederick Soddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-soddy/) > [ “They who search after the Philosopher's Stone \[are\] by their own rules obliged to a strict and religious life.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/they-who-search-after-the-philosopher-s-stone-are-by-their-own-rules/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [“It showed a tiny baby girl floating in a clear glass vessel. 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Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [There is no art or science that is too difficult for industry to attain to; it is the gift of tongues, and makes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hyde-1st-earl-of-clarendon/there-is-no-art-or-science-that-is-too-difficult-for-industry-to/) [Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hyde-1st-earl-of-clarendon/) ## More by Charles Dickens > [“All other swindlers upon earth are nothing to the self-swindlers, and with such pretences did I cheat myself. Surely a curious thing. That I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/all-other-swindlers-upon-earth-are-nothing-to-the-self-swindlers-and/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [... 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I shall miss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/there-have-been-many-accolades-uttered-about-elvis-talent-and/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [You know what black hatred women feel toward me as soon as they see me, until I return inside my shell, they use every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-claudel/you-know-what-black-hatred-women-feel-toward-me-as-soon-as-they-see/) [Camille Claudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-claudel/) > [My father was from Aberdeen, and a more generous man you couldn't wish to meet. I have a gold watch that belonged to him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chic-murray/my-father-was-from-aberdeen-and-a-more-generous-man-you-couldn-t-wish/) [Chic Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chic-murray/) > [My mother Molly had a nervous breakdown after my father Chic died, aged 50. He was a very generous man who ran a shop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-cox/my-mother-molly-had-a-nervous-breakdown-after-my-father-chic-died/) [Brian Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-cox/) > [“A man of broad principles. Of liberal sentiments. Even a generous man...Yet one might say that his way through the world was so broad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/a-man-of-broad-principles-of-liberal-sentiments-even-a-generous-man/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [Robin Williams was a wonderful, kind, and generous man. One important thing I remember about his personality is that he was unassuming - he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patch-adams/robin-williams-was-a-wonderful-kind-and-generous-man-one-important/) [Patch Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patch-adams/) > [A generous man places the benefits he confers beneath his feet; those he receives, nearest his heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greville-janner-baron-janner-of-braunstone/a-generous-man-places-the-benefits-he-confers-beneath-his-feet-those/) Greville Janner, Baron Janner of Braunstone > [The generous man enriches himself by giving; the miser hoards himself poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dutch-proverb/the-generous-man-enriches-himself-by-giving-the-miser-hoards-himself/) [Dutch Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dutch-proverb/) > [There is no door at which the hand of woman has knocked for admission into a new field of toil but there have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olive-schreiner/there-is-no-door-at-which-the-hand-of-woman-has-knocked-for-admission/) [Olive Schreiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olive-schreiner/) > [Courtesy is doing that which nothing under the sun makes you do but human kindness. 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