--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A lot of educated, thoughtful…" description: "\"“A lot of educated, thoughtful, well-meaning people will spend hours and hundreds of dollars buying their rascally child this year's must-have toy at C..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d93/dave-bruno-45079_children_a-lot-of-educated-thoughtful-well-meanin_298591.jpg" --- # A lot of educated, thoughtful, well-meaning people will… ![“A lot of educated, thoughtful, well-meaning people will spend hours and hundreds of dollars buying their rascally child this year's must-have toy at Christmastime. A lot of overworked, distracted, sort-of-nice husbands will purchase diamond earrings to make things better with the wife they are…” quote by Dave Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d93/dave-bruno-45079_children_a-lot-of-educated-thoughtful-well-meanin_298591.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d93/dave-bruno-45079_children_a-lot-of-educated-thoughtful-well-meanin_298591.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d93/dave-bruno-45079_children_a-lot-of-educated-thoughtful-well-meanin_298591.jpg) > ““A lot of educated, thoughtful, well-meaning people will spend hours and hundreds of dollars buying their rascally child this year's must-have toy at Christmastime. A lot of overworked, distracted, sort-of-nice husbands will purchase diamond earrings to make things better with the wife they are ignoring. Gadget purchased. Household calm. Jewelry bought. Wife satisfied. We put an impressive amount of faith in the capacity of material things that other people make to repair the troubled circumstances of our own creation.”” [Dave Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-bruno/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We over-rely on material gifts to fix deeper relational problems, hoping objects can heal emotional neglect. **In simple terms:** People think buying things can solve relationship issues. Key Takeaway Focus on genuine connection over gifts. Themes materialism relationships consumerism emotional neglect Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type advice observational philosophical When to use this quote - holiday shopping - marriage counseling - parent‑child bonding - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychology social dynamics gift giving Questions to Reflect On - What emotional need are you trying to satisfy with a purchase? - How can you show care without spending money? A Different Perspective Material gifts may temporarily placate but cannot address underlying issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Christmas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Jewelry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jewelry/) [Jewelry Bought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jewelry-bought-2857518/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Material things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/material-things/) [People Spend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-spend-300067/) [Purchase Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purchase-diamond-2857520/) [Thoughtful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughtful/) [Toy Christmastime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toy-christmastime-2857519/) ## Related quotes > [Funny, I never shopped. Even my jewelry - not a piece of my jewelry I bought for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imelda-marcos/funny-i-never-shopped-even-my-jewelry-not-a-piece-of-my-jewelry-i/) [Imelda Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imelda-marcos/) > [I'm amazed at the amount of time people spend on the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/i-m-amazed-at-the-amount-of-time-people-spend-on-the-internet/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [Some people spend too much time with their job, not enough with their family. You've got to balance things out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peyton-hillis/some-people-spend-too-much-time-with-their-job-not-enough-with-their/) [Peyton Hillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peyton-hillis/) > [Some people spend their lives interested only in themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayao-miyazaki/some-people-spend-their-lives-interested-only-in-themselves/) [Hayao Miyazaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayao-miyazaki/) > [So many people spend so much time on things that aren't important. It's the difference between success and failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/so-many-people-spend-so-much-time-on-things-that-aren-t-important-it/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [“Very many people spend money in ways quite different from those that their natural tastes would enjoin, merely because the respect of their neighbors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/very-many-people-spend-money-in-ways-quite-different-from-those-that/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [In countries around the world, people spend more money on food because they know how precious it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-waters/in-countries-around-the-world-people-spend-more-money-on-food-because/) [Alice Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-waters/) > [“Too many people spend money they havenʼt earned, to buy things they donʼt want, to impress people they donʼt like." - Will Rogers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-babauta/too-many-people-spend-money-they-haven-t-earned-to-buy-things-they/) [Leo Babauta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-babauta/) > [Rich people invest money and poor people spend it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-cardone/rich-people-invest-money-and-poor-people-spend-it/) [Grant Cardone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-cardone/) > [People spend too much time LOOKING FOR MORE. Instead, of appreciating what they already have!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/people-spend-too-much-time-looking-for-more-instead-of-appreciating/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Take good care of the things you have. Careless people spend more for a given standard of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-crook-de-camp/take-good-care-of-the-things-you-have-careless-people-spend-more-for/) [Catherine Crook de Camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-crook-de-camp/) > [You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/you-are-the-average-of-the-five-people-you-spend-the-most-time-with/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [Local economies are suffering as people spend more on fuel and less on consumer goods and travel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/local-economies-are-suffering-as-people-spend-more-on-fuel-and-less/) [Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/) > [The trouble is if you dont spend your life yourself, other people spend it for you.à](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-shaffer/the-trouble-is-if-you-dont-spend-your-life-yourself-other-people/) [Peter Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-shaffer/) > [I don't believe in asking people to spend $15 on something they've never heard before. That's just unreasonable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-mann/i-don-t-believe-in-asking-people-to-spend-15-on-something-they-ve/) [Aimee Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-mann/) ## More by Dave Bruno > [“In my view, dissatisfaction is implicit in the fabric of consumerism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-bruno/in-my-view-dissatisfaction-is-implicit-in-the-fabric-of-consumerism/) [Dave Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-bruno/) > [“Do you know how wind and water are unstoppable? The smallest cracks give wind and water all they need to creep through and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-bruno/do-you-know-how-wind-and-water-are-unstoppable-the-smallest-cracks/) [Dave Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-bruno/) > [“We're so distracted, we're missing out own lives. The parent who records his kid's dance recital or first steps or graduation is so busy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-bruno/we-re-so-distracted-we-re-missing-out-own-lives-the-parent-who/) [Dave Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-bruno/) > [“My desire to live a meaningful life was getting forestalled by the petty, day-to-day demands of all my stuff. As I stood in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-bruno/my-desire-to-live-a-meaningful-life-was-getting-forestalled-by-the/) [Dave Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-bruno/) > [“The truth is that our material possessions, rather than helping us understand our limits and our place in the world, regularly distort out perspective.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-bruno/the-truth-is-that-our-material-possessions-rather-than-helping-us/) [Dave Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-bruno/) > [“We cannot buy what we need for an ideal life in stores, so we have become habitual shoppers who come up short again and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-bruno/we-cannot-buy-what-we-need-for-an-ideal-life-in-stores-so-we-have/) [Dave Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-bruno/) > [“I was free to appreciate these former interests of mine rather than worry about not participating in them. The 100 Thing Challenge proved a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-bruno/i-was-free-to-appreciate-these-former-interests-of-mine-rather-than/) [Dave Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-bruno/) > [“I have come to believe that contentment is a virtue we can aspire to rather than a state we can achieve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-bruno/i-have-come-to-believe-that-contentment-is-a-virtue-we-can-aspire-to/) [Dave Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-bruno/) [Explore all 9 Dave Bruno quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-bruno/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A lot of educated, thoughtful, well-meaning people will spend hours and hundreds of dollars buying their rascally child this year's must-have toy at Christmastime. A lot of overworked, distracted, sort-of-nice husbands will purchase diamond earrings to make things better with the wife they are ignoring. Gadget purchased. Household calm. Jewelry bought. Wife satisfied. We put an impressive amount of faith in the capacity of material things that other people make to repair the troubled circumstances of our own creation.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dave Bruno" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-bruno/a-lot-of-educated-thoughtful-well-meaning-people-will-spend-hours-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-bruno/a-lot-of-educated-thoughtful-well-meaning-people-will-spend-hours-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d93/dave-bruno-45079_children_a-lot-of-educated-thoughtful-well-meanin_298591.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d93/dave-bruno-45079_children_a-lot-of-educated-thoughtful-well-meanin_298591.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d93/dave-bruno-45079_children_a-lot-of-educated-thoughtful-well-meanin_298591.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A lot of educated, thoughtful, well-meaning people will spend hours and hundreds of dollars buying their…” — Dave Bruno", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dave Bruno", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-bruno/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A lot of educated, thoughtful, well-meaning...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-bruno/a-lot-of-educated-thoughtful-well-meaning-people-will-spend-hours-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-bruno/a-lot-of-educated-thoughtful-well-meaning-people-will-spend-hours-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```