Business Quote by Henry David Thoreau
““I think that there is nothing, not even crime, more opposed to poetry, to philosophy, to life itself, than this incessant business.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Walden, 1854
Commercial pursuits distract from deeper artistic and philosophical values.
In simple terms: Business can clash with poetry and philosophy.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize meaning over profit.
Themes
philosophy
art
materialism
Mood
contemplative
critical
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- career choices
- consumer culture
- creative work
Key Concepts
existentialism
critique of capitalism
authenticity
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you integrate work and creativity?
- Can commerce support artistic expression?
A Different Perspective
Not all business is inherently opposed to art.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)
