Borrowed money Quote by Frances Hardinge
““I generally find,' Clent murmured after a pause, 'that it is best to treat borrowed time the same way as borrowed money. Spend it with panache, and try to be somewhere else when it runs out.' 'And when we get found, Mr. Clent, when the creditors and bailiffs come after us and it's payment time...' '...then we borrow more, madam, at a higher interest. We embark on a wilder gamble, make a bigger promise, tell a braver story, devise a more intricate lie, sell the hides of imaginary dragons to desperate men, climb to even higher and more precarious ground...and later, of course, our fall and catastrophe will be all the worse, but later will be our watchword, Mosca. We have nothing else - but we can at least make later later.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Lost Conspiracy by Frances Hardinge, 2022
Treat borrowed time like borrowed money: enjoy it flamboyantly, but when it ends, we gamble more, creating larger lies and higher stakes, leading to greater downfall later
In simple terms: Time is fleeting; we spend it lavishly, then compound the debt with riskier promises, causing bigger collapse later
Key Takeaway
Enjoy now, but beware of escalating risks
Themes
time
risk
ambition
consequences
hubris
Mood
reflective
cautious
Type
philosophical
warning
When to use this quote
- personal finance
- career decisions
- relationships
- creative projects
Key Concepts
Existentialism
ethical dilemma
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- What limits would you set on borrowing time?
- How does the promise of “later” affect present choices?
A Different Perspective
Escalating risk can lead to irreversible loss
