--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Misers mistake gold for their good…" description: "\"Misers mistake gold for their good; whereas 'tis only a means of attaining it.\" — Francois de La Rochefoucauld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af5/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_gold_misers-mistake-gold-for-their-good-where_2268979.png" --- # Misers mistake gold for their good; whereas 'tis only a… ![“Misers mistake gold for their good; whereas 'tis only a means of attaining it.” quote by Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af5/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_gold_misers-mistake-gold-for-their-good-where_2268979.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af5/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_gold_misers-mistake-gold-for-their-good-where_2268979.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af5/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_gold_misers-mistake-gold-for-their-good-where_2268979.png) > “Misers mistake gold for their good; whereas 'tis only a means of attaining it.” [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often mistake wealth itself for the benefit it provides, forgetting it is merely a tool to achieve goals. **In simple terms:** Wealth is a tool, not the goal. Key Takeaway Use money wisely, not worship it. Themes greed wealth values Mood reflective critical Type philosophical moral When to use this quote - budgeting - investment decisions - charitable giving Key Concepts instrumentalism misplaced priorities Questions to Reflect On - What do you truly value beyond money? - How can you use wealth to serve higher goals? A Different Perspective Money cannot replace purpose or fulfillment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold/) [Misers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misers/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) ## Related quotes > [I will find a way without you Tell him his eyes see too clear That mistake was gold I know that without you is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saosin/i-will-find-a-way-without-you-tell-him-his-eyes-see-too-clear-that/) [Saosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saosin/) > [You know that I love you." And despite herself, Coraline nodded. It was true. The other mother loved her. But she loved Coraline as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-know-that-i-love-you-and-despite-herself-coraline-nodded-it-was/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [When everyone is looking for gold, it's a good time to be in the pick and shovel business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/when-everyone-is-looking-for-gold-it-s-a-good-time-to-be-in-the-pick/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“The Christian understands the word “good” in a different way. By “good” he understands spiritual good.  “Ah!” he says, “I do not call gold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-haddon-spurgeon/the-christian-understands-the-word-good-in-a-different-way-by-good-he/) [Charles Haddon Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-haddon-spurgeon/) > [Gold were as good as twenty orators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/gold-were-as-good-as-twenty-orators/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If you are looking for a hedge for potential inflation for the future and have a longer term view, then gold is still a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paulson/if-you-are-looking-for-a-hedge-for-potential-inflation-for-the-future/) [John Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paulson/) > [Gold will not always get you good soldiers, but good soldiers can get you gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/gold-will-not-always-get-you-good-soldiers-but-good-soldiers-can-get/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Gold is good in its place; but loving, brave, patriotic men are better than gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/gold-is-good-in-its-place-but-loving-brave-patriotic-men-are-better/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [You can't judge a man by the clothing he wears or the way he looks! You have to look deeper in the book, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-t-judge-a-man-by-the-clothing-he-wears-or-the-way-he-looks/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Given all the money printing that is going on globally - and not just in the US - and given that the total credit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-faber/given-all-the-money-printing-that-is-going-on-globally-and-not-just/) [Marc Faber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-faber/) > [In hard times, gold is a good friend and good friend is gold!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/in-hard-times-gold-is-a-good-friend-and-good-friend-is-gold/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [The sinews of war are not gold, but good soldiers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/the-sinews-of-war-are-not-gold-but-good-soldiers/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [“Treasure the friendship you receive above all. It will survive long after your gold and good health have vanished.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/treasure-the-friendship-you-receive-above-all-it-will-survive-long/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [“Yet gold all is not, that doth gold seem, Nor all good knights, that shake well spear and shield: The worth of all men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-spenser/yet-gold-all-is-not-that-doth-gold-seem-nor-all-good-knights-that/) [Edmund Spenser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-spenser/) > [I do more drugs than a rock band, party like a white man I don't wear skinny jeans cause I got them damn bands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gucci-mane/i-do-more-drugs-than-a-rock-band-party-like-a-white-man-i-don-t-wear/) [Gucci Mane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gucci-mane/) ## More by Francois de La Rochefoucauld > [Our own distrust gives a fair pretence for the knavery of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/our-own-distrust-gives-a-fair-pretence-for-the-knavery-of-other-people/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Behind many acts that are thought ridiculous there lie wise and weighty motives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/behind-many-acts-that-are-thought-ridiculous-there-lie-wise-and/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“Passion often makes a madman of the cleverest man, and renders the greatest fools clever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/passion-often-makes-a-madman-of-the-cleverest-man-and-renders-the/) [François de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Perseverance is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy; for it seems to be only the enduring of certain inclinations and opinions which men neither give themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/perseverance-is-neither-praiseworthy-nor-blameworthy-for-it-seems-to/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [A woman is faithful to her first lover for a long time - unless she happens to take a second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/a-woman-is-faithful-to-her-first-lover-for-a-long-time-unless-she/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We are almost always wearied in the company of persons with whom we are not permitted to be weary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-are-almost-always-wearied-in-the-company-of-persons-with-whom-we/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The love of new acquaintance comes not so much from being weary of what we had before, or from any satisfaction there is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-love-of-new-acquaintance-comes-not-so-much-from-being-weary-of/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-sometimes-necessary-to-play-the-fool-to-avoid-being-deceived-by/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The intention of never deceiving often exposes us to deception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-intention-of-never-deceiving-often-exposes-us-to-deception/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Jealousy springs more from love of self than from love of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/jealousy-springs-more-from-love-of-self-than-from-love-of-another/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Our distrust of another justifies his deceit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/our-distrust-of-another-justifies-his-deceit/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/no-persons-are-more-frequently-wrong-than-those-who-will-not-admit/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Jealousy is always born with love, but does not die with it. In jealousy there is more of self-love than of love to another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/jealousy-is-always-born-with-love-but-does-not-die-with-it-in/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The greatest of all gifts is the power to estimate things at their true worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-greatest-of-all-gifts-is-the-power-to-estimate-things-at-their/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We have not strength enough to follow our reason so far as it would carry us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-have-not-strength-enough-to-follow-our-reason-so-far-as-it-would/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) [Explore all 1,134 Francois de La Rochefoucauld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## More Gold quotes > [These joys were so trifling as to be as imperceptible as grains of gold among the sand, and in moments of depression she saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/these-joys-were-so-trifling-as-to-be-as-imperceptible-as-grains-of/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [With every product, the delta between the brand and the reality determines its power over the minds of consumers, and with Trump, that delta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/with-every-product-the-delta-between-the-brand-and-the-reality/) [Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/) > [Set the bird's wings with gold and it will never again soar in thesky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/set-the-bird-s-wings-with-gold-and-it-will-never-again-soar-in-thesky/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [A great smile is a wonderful asset, but a good heart is pure gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/a-great-smile-is-a-wonderful-asset-but-a-good-heart-is-pure-gold/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [I with borrow'd silver shine, What you see is none of mine. First I show you but a quarter, Like the bow that guards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/i-with-borrow-d-silver-shine-what-you-see-is-none-of-mine-first-i/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [Surely, God could have caused birds to fly with their bones made of solid gold, with their veins full of quicksilver, with their flesh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/surely-god-could-have-caused-birds-to-fly-with-their-bones-made-of/) [Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galileo-galilei/) > [Ring out false pride in place and blood, The civic slander and the spite; Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/ring-out-false-pride-in-place-and-blood-the-civic-slander-and-the/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) > [Just as the setting sun turned the clouds to liquid gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ende/just-as-the-setting-sun-turned-the-clouds-to-liquid-gold/) [Michael Ende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ende/) > [No matter what. Wherever your mind wanders, it seems to turn up at the same Field of Dreams. It's the vision you wake up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/no-matter-what-wherever-your-mind-wanders-it-seems-to-turn-up-at-the/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [The spectacle of a great, solvent government paying a fictitious price for gold it did not want and did not need and doing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garet-garrett/the-spectacle-of-a-great-solvent-government-paying-a-fictitious-price/) [Garet Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garet-garrett/) > [Nothing good comes on a platter of gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-good-comes-on-a-platter-of-gold/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All the people in Korea are cheering me like I'm a gold medalist or something, so I have a responsibility to my country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/psy/all-the-people-in-korea-are-cheering-me-like-i-m-a-gold-medalist-or/) [PSY](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/psy/) > [All metallics are neutrals. So it is absolutely fine to mix gold and silver; you just want it to look like it has purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-london/all-metallics-are-neutrals-so-it-is-absolutely-fine-to-mix-gold-and/) [Stacy London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-london/) > [He gives only the worthless gold who gives from a sense of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/he-gives-only-the-worthless-gold-who-gives-from-a-sense-of-duty/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) [Browse all 3,806 Gold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Misers mistake gold for their good; whereas 'tis only a means of attaining it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francois de La Rochefoucauld" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/misers-mistake-gold-for-their-good-whereas-tis-only-a-means-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Gold" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/misers-mistake-gold-for-their-good-whereas-tis-only-a-means-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af5/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_gold_misers-mistake-gold-for-their-good-where_2268979.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af5/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_gold_misers-mistake-gold-for-their-good-where_2268979.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af5/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_gold_misers-mistake-gold-for-their-good-where_2268979.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Misers mistake gold for their good; whereas 'tis only a means of attaining it.” — Francois de La Rochefoucauld", "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": "Francois de La Rochefoucauld", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Misers mistake gold for their good;...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/misers-mistake-gold-for-their-good-whereas-tis-only-a-means-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/misers-mistake-gold-for-their-good-whereas-tis-only-a-means-of/#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 } } ] } ```