--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Earthly goods deceive the human heart…" description: "\"“Earthly goods deceive the human heart into believing that they give it security and freedom from worry. But in truth, they are what cause anxiety.”\" —..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_anxiety_earthly-goods-deceive-the-human-heart-in_2577846.jpg" --- # Earthly goods deceive the human heart into believing that… ![“Earthly goods deceive the human heart into believing that they give it security and freedom from worry. But in truth, they are what cause anxiety.” quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_anxiety_earthly-goods-deceive-the-human-heart-in_2577846.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_anxiety_earthly-goods-deceive-the-human-heart-in_2577846.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_anxiety_earthly-goods-deceive-the-human-heart-in_2577846.jpg) > ““Earthly goods deceive the human heart into believing that they give it security and freedom from worry. But in truth, they are what cause anxiety.”” [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Material possessions create false security, leading to anxiety rather than true freedom. **In simple terms:** Goods give false security and cause anxiety. Key Takeaway Seek inner peace over material gain. Themes materialism anxiety spirituality freedom Mood contemplative inspirational Type spiritual philosophical When to use this quote - Financial planning - minimalist lifestyle - spiritual practice - stress management Key Concepts Theology psychology consumer culture Questions to Reflect On - What truly makes you feel secure? - How can you reduce material dependence? A Different Perspective Overreliance on goods can deepen anxiety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Human heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-heart/) [Materialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/materialism/) [Security and freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security-and-freedom/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) ## Related quotes > [Do not worry! Earthly goods deceive the human heart into believing that they give it security and freedom from worry. But in truth, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/do-not-worry-earthly-goods-deceive-the-human-heart-into-believing/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Earthly goods are given to be used, not to be collected… Hoarding is idolatry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/earthly-goods-are-given-to-be-used-not-to-be-collected-hoarding-is/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Earthly possessions dazzle our eyes and delude us into thinking that they can provide security and freedom from anxiety. Yet all the time they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/earthly-possessions-dazzle-our-eyes-and-delude-us-into-thinking-that/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [I don't know what's good, or bad, or true. I let God worry about truth. I just want to know the momentary fact of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paddy-chayefsky/i-don-t-know-what-s-good-or-bad-or-true-i-let-god-worry-about-truth-i/) [Paddy Chayefsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paddy-chayefsky/) > [Oh soul, you worry too much. You have seen your own strength. You have seen your own beauty. You have seen your golden wings.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/oh-soul-you-worry-too-much-you-have-seen-your-own-strength-you-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't want to know what's good, or bad, or true. I let God worry about the truth. I just want to know the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-garner/i-don-t-want-to-know-what-s-good-or-bad-or-true-i-let-god-worry-about/) [James Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-garner/) > [Having money gives me the freedom to worry about the things that really matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/having-money-gives-me-the-freedom-to-worry-about-the-things-that/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) > [You can only appreciate freedom when you find yourself in a position to fight for someone else's freedom and not worry about your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruby-dee/you-can-only-appreciate-freedom-when-you-find-yourself-in-a-position/) [Ruby Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruby-dee/) > [All that money stuff was so strange; all it ever meant to me was freedom from worry. I'm happier now than I've ever been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-plato/all-that-money-stuff-was-so-strange-all-it-ever-meant-to-me-was/) [Dana Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-plato/) > [“Believers in liberal freedom should worry not whether their regime can prevail in competition with authoritarian ones, but whether they can prevail against their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/believers-in-liberal-freedom-should-worry-not-whether-their-regime/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [“People say they want freedom, but what they really want is freedom from worry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/people-say-they-want-freedom-but-what-they-really-want-is-freedom/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [People say they want freedom, but what they really want is freedom from worry. If I take care of their problems, they don't mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/people-say-they-want-freedom-but-what-they-really-want-is-freedom-2/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [“That's because the desire of most folks is to be told what to do.” He looks back across the square, covered in tents and soldiers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/that-s-because-the-desire-of-most-folks-is-to-be-told-what-to-do-he/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [People would rather be deceived than have the truth cause them anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caleb-carr/people-would-rather-be-deceived-than-have-the-truth-cause-them-anxiety/) [Caleb Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caleb-carr/) > [A lack of narrative structure, as you know, will cause anxiety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dufresne/a-lack-of-narrative-structure-as-you-know-will-cause-anxiety/) [John Dufresne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dufresne/) ## More by Dietrich Bonhoeffer > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Why do Christians sing when they are together? The reason is, quite simply, because in singing together it is possible for them to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/why-do-christians-sing-when-they-are-together-the-reason-is-quite/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [What we shall need is not geniuses, or cynics, or misanthropes, or clever tacticians, but plain, honest, straghtforward men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/what-we-shall-need-is-not-geniuses-or-cynics-or-misanthropes-or/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [...Gratitude transforms the torment of memory of good things now gone into silent joy. 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If I'm nervous I know I'm going to have a good show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce-knowles/i-get-nervous-when-i-don-t-get-nervous-if-i-m-nervous-i-know-i-m/) [Beyonce Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce-knowles/) > [“Every invention comes through anxiousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakesh-wadhwani/every-invention-comes-through-anxiousness/) [Rakesh Wadhwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakesh-wadhwani/) > [“Do Not Be Anxious 25 e “Therefore I tell you,  f do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-be-anxious-25-e-therefore-i-tell-you-f-do-not-be-anxious-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nothing happens on its own, you have to make things happen. 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