--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A grain of gold will gild a great…" description: "\"A grain of gold will gild a great surface, but not so much as a grain of wisdom.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/henry-david-thoreau-20_gold_a-grain-of-gold-will-gild-a-great-surfac_565139.jpg" --- # A grain of gold will gild a great surface, but not so much… ![“A grain of gold will gild a great surface, but not so much as a grain of wisdom.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/henry-david-thoreau-20_gold_a-grain-of-gold-will-gild-a-great-surfac_565139.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/henry-david-thoreau-20_gold_a-grain-of-gold-will-gild-a-great-surfac_565139.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/henry-david-thoreau-20_gold_a-grain-of-gold-will-gild-a-great-surfac_565139.jpg) > “A grain of gold will gild a great surface, but not so much as a grain of wisdom.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A small amount of wealth can enhance, but wisdom adds greater value than material riches. **In simple terms:** Wisdom outweighs material wealth. Key Takeaway Prioritize wisdom over material gain. Themes philosophy wealth wisdom value materialism Mood contemplative inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - financial planning - education - spiritual practice Key Concepts ethical living personal growth minimalism Questions to Reflect On - How does wisdom change your view of wealth? - What steps can you take to cultivate wisdom? A Different Perspective Material wealth may be fleeting compared to wisdom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gild-1053075/) [Gild Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gild-great-4676270/) [Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold/) [Gold Gild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold-gild-4676269/) [Grain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grain/) [Grain Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grain-gold-4676268/) [Grain Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grain-wisdom-1286643/) [Surface](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surface/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [“I did not know that mankind were suffering for want of gold. I have seen a little of it. I know that it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-did-not-know-that-mankind-were-suffering-for-want-of-gold-i-have/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Gold can gild a rotten stick, and dirt sully an ingot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/gold-can-gild-a-rotten-stick-and-dirt-sully-an-ingot/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [An eastern contemporary, with a grain of wisdom in its wit, says that "when the whites win a fight, it is a victory, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-frank-baum/an-eastern-contemporary-with-a-grain-of-wisdom-in-its-wit-says-that/) [L. Frank Baum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-frank-baum/) > [Art may varnish and gild, but it can do no more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/art-may-varnish-and-gild-but-it-can-do-no-more/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“From our earliest days, education has been a hallmark of our company. It was Walt himself who said, “We have always tried to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-kinni/from-our-earliest-days-education-has-been-a-hallmark-of-our-company/) [Theodore Kinni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-kinni/) > [We have always tried to be guided by the basic idea that, in the discovery of knowledge, there is great entertainment - as, conversely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/we-have-always-tried-to-be-guided-by-the-basic-idea-that-in-the/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [For my part, if a lie may do thee grace, I'll gild it with the happiest terms I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/for-my-part-if-a-lie-may-do-thee-grace-i-ll-gild-it-with-the-happiest/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Don't gild the lily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-t-gild-the-lily/don-t-gild-the-lily/) [Don't Gild The Lily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-t-gild-the-lily/) > [The heart must glow before the tongue can gild.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/the-heart-must-glow-before-the-tongue-can-gild/) [William Rounseville Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/) > [Paper is cheap, and authors need not now erase one book before they write another. Instead of cultivating the earth for wheat andpotatoes, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/paper-is-cheap-and-authors-need-not-now-erase-one-book-before-they/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As polishing expresses the vein in marble, and grain in wood, so music brings out what of heroic lurks anywhere. The hero is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-polishing-expresses-the-vein-in-marble-and-grain-in-wood-so-music/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [But why should not the New Englander try new adventures - not lay so much stress on his grain, his potato and grass crop,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/but-why-should-not-the-new-englander-try-new-adventures-not-lay-so/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The grain of real knowledge is concealed in a vast deal of esoteric chaff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-rupert-hall/the-grain-of-real-knowledge-is-concealed-in-a-vast-deal-of-esoteric/) [Alfred Rupert Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-rupert-hall/) > [I'm a film guy. I love it. When I read the screenplay, I knew that there would be no HD camera that could achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-taylor/i-m-a-film-guy-i-love-it-when-i-read-the-screenplay-i-knew-that-there/) [Deon Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deon-taylor/) > [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/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## 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": "A grain of gold will gild a great surface, but not so much as a grain of wisdom.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-grain-of-gold-will-gild-a-great-surface-but-not-so-much-as-a-grain/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Gold" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-grain-of-gold-will-gild-a-great-surface-but-not-so-much-as-a-grain/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/henry-david-thoreau-20_gold_a-grain-of-gold-will-gild-a-great-surfac_565139.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/henry-david-thoreau-20_gold_a-grain-of-gold-will-gild-a-great-surfac_565139.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/henry-david-thoreau-20_gold_a-grain-of-gold-will-gild-a-great-surfac_565139.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A grain of gold will gild a great surface, but not so much as a grain of wisdom.” — Henry David Thoreau", "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": "Henry David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A grain of gold will gild...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-grain-of-gold-will-gild-a-great-surface-but-not-so-much-as-a-grain/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-grain-of-gold-will-gild-a-great-surface-but-not-so-much-as-a-grain/#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 } } ] } ```