--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They are fools that think that wealth or…" description: "\"“They are fools that think that wealth or women or strong drink or even drugs can buy the most in effort out of the soul of a man. These things offer p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d78/gordon-r-dickson-28226_fear_they-are-fools-that-think-that-wealth-or_151742.jpg" --- # They are fools that think that wealth or women or strong… ![“They are fools that think that wealth or women or strong drink or even drugs can buy the most in effort out of the soul of a man. These things offer pale pleasures compared to that which is greatest of them all, that task which demands from him more than his utmost strength, that absorbs him, bone…” quote by Gordon R. Dickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d78/gordon-r-dickson-28226_fear_they-are-fools-that-think-that-wealth-or_151742.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d78/gordon-r-dickson-28226_fear_they-are-fools-that-think-that-wealth-or_151742.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d78/gordon-r-dickson-28226_fear_they-are-fools-that-think-that-wealth-or_151742.jpg) > ““They are fools that think that wealth or women or strong drink or even drugs can buy the most in effort out of the soul of a man. These things offer pale pleasures compared to that which is greatest of them all, that task which demands from him more than his utmost strength, that absorbs him, bone and sinew and brain and hope and fear and dreams -- and still calls for more.”” [Gordon R. Dickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-r-dickson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True fulfillment comes from demanding one’s utmost effort, not from material pleasures, which are shallow compared to deep purpose. **In simple terms:** Purposeful effort outweighs material pleasure. Key Takeaway Pursue challenging, meaningful work. Themes purpose effort materialism Mood determined inspirational Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career - art - personal development Key Concepts existentialism self‑actualization Questions to Reflect On - What personal challenges give you a sense of purpose? - How do you balance effort with rest? A Different Perspective Such striving can lead to burnout if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fools/) [Fools Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fools-think-381898/) [Strength Absorbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength-absorbs-1686219/) [Strong drink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-drink/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) ## Related quotes > [The wise are wise only because they love. The fool are fools only because they think they can understand love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-wise-are-wise-only-because-they-love-the-fool-are-fools-only/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Are we all fools to think there really is such a thing as true happiness in this world? Or are we all destined to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micalea-smeltzer/are-we-all-fools-to-think-there-really-is-such-a-thing-as-true/) [Micalea Smeltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micalea-smeltzer/) > [Only fools think they're wise; the rest of us just muddle through as we can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/only-fools-think-they-re-wise-the-rest-of-us-just-muddle-through-as/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [“Mankind is made of two kinds of people: wise people who know they're fools, and fools who think they are wise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/mankind-is-made-of-two-kinds-of-people-wise-people-who-know-they-re/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [“In a world of fools, I was, I think, to him one of the greater fools.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-blixen/in-a-world-of-fools-i-was-i-think-to-him-one-of-the-greater-fools/) [Karen Blixen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-blixen/) > [“They are fools that think that wealth or women or strong drink or even drugs can buy the most in effort out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-r-dickson/they-are-fools-that-think-that-wealth-or-women-or-strong-drink-or-2/) [Gordon R. Dickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-r-dickson/) > [“The majority is never right. Never, I tell you! That's one of these lies in society that no free and intelligent man can help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/the-majority-is-never-right-never-i-tell-you-that-s-one-of-these-lies-2/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [Most fools think they are only ignorant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/most-fools-think-they-are-only-ignorant/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“No man is free. Only children and fools think elsewise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/no-man-is-free-only-children-and-fools-think-elsewise/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“As time moves on the line will blur. It will no longer seem to be the simplicity of good versus evil, but good versus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/as-time-moves-on-the-line-will-blur-it-will-no-longer-seem-to-be-the/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards. Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others. PROVERBS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-chapman/wise-words-bring-many-benefits-and-hard-work-brings-rewards-fools/) [Gary Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-chapman/) > [The world is only as deep as we can see. This is why fools think themselves profound. This is why terror is the passion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/the-world-is-only-as-deep-as-we-can-see-this-is-why-fools-think/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [Great men undertake great things because they are great; fools, because they think them easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/great-men-undertake-great-things-because-they-are-great-fools-because/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [“The majority never has right on its side. Never I say! That is one of the social lies that a free, thinking man is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/the-majority-never-has-right-on-its-side-never-i-say-that-is-one-of/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [Great minds think alike, not a big deal even fools think alike to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajesh/great-minds-think-alike-not-a-big-deal-even-fools-think-alike-to/) [Rajesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajesh/) ## More by Gordon R. Dickson > [A camel is a horse designed by a committee and a committee's a sweet running piece of machinery compared to any government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-r-dickson/a-camel-is-a-horse-designed-by-a-committee-and-a-committee-s-a-sweet/) [Gordon R. Dickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-r-dickson/) > [Now our world is at the present time firmly in the grip of a mechanical monster, whose head - if you want to call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-r-dickson/now-our-world-is-at-the-present-time-firmly-in-the-grip-of-a/) [Gordon R. Dickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-r-dickson/) > [“Like most people who knew themselves to be naturally favored with intelligence, his natural ego had led him unconsciously to doubt that there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-r-dickson/like-most-people-who-knew-themselves-to-be-naturally-favored-with/) [Gordon R. Dickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-r-dickson/) > [“I, wanderer, stand awaiting the signal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-r-dickson/i-wanderer-stand-awaiting-the-signal/) [Gordon R. Dickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-r-dickson/) > [Unrivalled not only in its class, but in a class by itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-r-dickson/unrivalled-not-only-in-its-class-but-in-a-class-by-itself/) [Gordon R. Dickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-r-dickson/) > [“They are fools that think that wealth or women or strong drink or even drugs can buy the most in effort out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-r-dickson/they-are-fools-that-think-that-wealth-or-women-or-strong-drink-or-2/) [Gordon R. Dickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-r-dickson/) > [“Trouble rather the tiger in his lair than the sage among his books. For to you kingdoms and their armies are things mighty and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-r-dickson/trouble-rather-the-tiger-in-his-lair-than-the-sage-among-his-books/) [Gordon R. Dickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-r-dickson/) > [ “\[M\]y ancient weird woke again in me.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-r-dickson/m-y-ancient-weird-woke-again-in-me/) [Gordon R. Dickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-r-dickson/) > [“Sir Brian told him in fulsome scatological terms what he could do with his lineage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-r-dickson/sir-brian-told-him-in-fulsome-scatological-terms-what-he-could-do/) [Gordon R. Dickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-r-dickson/) > [“It was the centuries-old battle of man to keep his race alive and push forward into the future, the ceaseless, furious struggle of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-r-dickson/it-was-the-centuries-old-battle-of-man-to-keep-his-race-alive-and/) [Gordon R. Dickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-r-dickson/) > [Some people like my advice so much that they frame it upon the wall instead of using it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-r-dickson/some-people-like-my-advice-so-much-that-they-frame-it-upon-the-wall/) [Gordon R. Dickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-r-dickson/) > [“There was a minority among the human race, as there always had been, that found comfort in trading a personal freedom of mind and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-r-dickson/there-was-a-minority-among-the-human-race-as-there-always-had-been/) [Gordon R. Dickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-r-dickson/) > [A faith-holder puts himself below his faith and lets it guide his actions. The fanatic puts himself above it and uses it as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-r-dickson/a-faith-holder-puts-himself-below-his-faith-and-lets-it-guide-his/) [Gordon R. Dickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-r-dickson/) > [“There never was a throne yet built so high that it could not be rocked by laughter from below.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-r-dickson/there-never-was-a-throne-yet-built-so-high-that-it-could-not-be/) [Gordon R. Dickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-r-dickson/) > [“Onward, and up, and up again, until the impossible was achieved, all barriers were broken, all pains conquered, all abilities possessed. Until all was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-r-dickson/onward-and-up-and-up-again-until-the-impossible-was-achieved-all/) [Gordon R. Dickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-r-dickson/) [Explore all 19 Gordon R. Dickson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-r-dickson/) ## More Fear quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. For eighteen months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-ashley/that-horrible-stinging-sensation-returned-the-muscles-behind-my-eyes/) [Devon Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-ashley/) > [“...Often that which most we fear births the resolve that spurs us on to altitudes we could not have achieved, had we continued walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-t-anderson/often-that-which-most-we-fear-births-the-resolve-that-spurs-us-on-to/) [M.T. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-t-anderson/) > [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/) [Nagisa Tatsumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nagisa-tatsumi/) > [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [“Snip off the little worries and expressions of worry” like little branches atop a tall tree.28 If you are truly worried, sharing your concerns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/snip-off-the-little-worries-and-expressions-of-worry-like-little/) [Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/) > [“Fear and desire for pleasure. Aggressiveness comes out of fear, predominantly, and sexuality predominantly out of the other. But they mix in the middle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/fear-and-desire-for-pleasure-aggressiveness-comes-out-of-fear/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [“Yes, the issue was courage. It always had been, even as a kid. Things scared him. He couldn't help it. Noise scared him, dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/yes-the-issue-was-courage-it-always-had-been-even-as-a-kid-things/) [Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/) > [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) [Browse all 35,569 Fear quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“They are fools that think that wealth or women or strong drink or even drugs can buy the most in effort out of the soul of a man. These things offer pale pleasures compared to that which is greatest of them all, that task which demands from him more than his utmost strength, that absorbs him, bone and sinew and brain and hope and fear and dreams -- and still calls for more.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gordon R. 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