--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As early as the 1840s, Alexis de…" description: "\"“As early as the 1840s, Alexis de Tocqueville observed that America was populated by “so many lucky men, restless in the midst of their abundance.” Or,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/eric-weiner-1843_abundance_as-early-as-the-1840s-alexis-de-tocquevi_1375845.png" --- # As early as the 1840s, Alexis de Tocqueville observed that… ![“As early as the 1840s, Alexis de Tocqueville observed that America was populated by “so many lucky men, restless in the midst of their abundance.” Or, as Kevin Rushby writes in his recent history of paradise, “All talk of paradise only starts when something has been lost.” What have we lost? I…” quote by Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/eric-weiner-1843_abundance_as-early-as-the-1840s-alexis-de-tocquevi_1375845.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/eric-weiner-1843_abundance_as-early-as-the-1840s-alexis-de-tocquevi_1375845.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/eric-weiner-1843_abundance_as-early-as-the-1840s-alexis-de-tocquevi_1375845.png) > ““As early as the 1840s, Alexis de Tocqueville observed that America was populated by “so many lucky men, restless in the midst of their abundance.” Or, as Kevin Rushby writes in his recent history of paradise, “All talk of paradise only starts when something has been lost.” What have we lost? I wonder.”” [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects on historical observations that abundance breeds restlessness and that the notion of paradise emerges only after loss, prompting reflection on what has been lost. **In simple terms:** Abundance leads to restlessness; loss defines paradise. Key Takeaway Recognize loss to appreciate true value. Themes abundance restlessness loss Mood reflective melancholic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal reflection - societal analysis - creative writing Key Concepts philosophical historical reflection Questions to Reflect On - What have you lost that shaped your values? - How does scarcity influence desire? A Different Perspective Focusing on loss may foster nostalgia over action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abundance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abundance/) [Alexis De Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alexis-de-tocqueville/) [America Populated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-populated-1096715/) [De Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/de-tocqueville/) [History Paradise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-paradise-4750897/) [Midst Abundance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/midst-abundance-2816882/) [Paradise Starts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradise-starts-4750896/) ## Related quotes > [“Alexis de Tocqueville toured the United States in the early 1830s and famously proclaimed the emergence of Homo democraticus, a cheeky creature whose passion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/alexis-de-tocqueville-toured-the-united-states-in-the-early-1830s-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Alexis de Tocqueville warned that as the economy and government of America got bigger, citizens could become smaller: less practiced in the forms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-liu/alexis-de-tocqueville-warned-that-as-the-economy-and-government-of/) [Eric Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-liu/) > [Trump did not spring out of nowhere, and I was struck by how prescient writers like Alexis de Tocqueville and George Orwell and Hannah…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michiko-kakutani/trump-did-not-spring-out-of-nowhere-and-i-was-struck-by-how-prescient/) [Michiko Kakutani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michiko-kakutani/) > [“French writer Alexis de Tocqueville captured this sentiment, from a foreigner’s perspective, writing in 1831 after a tour of the nascent country that “The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-h-bradley/french-writer-alexis-de-tocqueville-captured-this-sentiment-from-a/) [Elizabeth H. 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