--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Absolutely speaking, the more money, the…" description: "\"“Absolutely speaking, the more money, the less virtue; for money comes between a man and his objects, and obtains them for him; it was certainly no gre..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db9/henry-david-thoreau-20_money_absolutely-speaking-the-more-money-the-l_1736694.jpg" --- # Absolutely speaking, the more money, the less virtue; for… ![“Absolutely speaking, the more money, the less virtue; for money comes between a man and his objects, and obtains them for him; it was certainly no great virtue to obtain it.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db9/henry-david-thoreau-20_money_absolutely-speaking-the-more-money-the-l_1736694.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db9/henry-david-thoreau-20_money_absolutely-speaking-the-more-money-the-l_1736694.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db9/henry-david-thoreau-20_money_absolutely-speaking-the-more-money-the-l_1736694.jpg) > ““Absolutely speaking, the more money, the less virtue; for money comes between a man and his objects, and obtains them for him; it was certainly no great virtue to obtain it.”” [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. More money creates distance from true values and objects, diminishing virtue. **In simple terms:** Wealth can corrupt moral character. Key Takeaway Prioritize simple, purposeful living over wealth. Themes materialism virtue simplicity Mood contemplative serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - budgeting - minimalist lifestyle - philanthropy - career choices Key Concepts ethical philosophy economic critique personal ethics Questions to Reflect On - Can wealth ever coexist with virtue? - How to balance financial security with moral integrity? 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Without a doubt, one was speaking of the money of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-guitry/one-says-that-money-doesn-t-buy-happiness-without-a-doubt-one-was/) [Sacha Guitry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-guitry/) > [Money and virtue must always be combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ii-prince-of-monaco/money-and-virtue-must-always-be-combined/) [Albert II, Prince of Monaco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ii-prince-of-monaco/) > [Get money first; virtue comes after.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/get-money-first-virtue-comes-after/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [“I do nothing but go about persuading you all, old and young alike, not to take thought for your persons or your properties, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/i-do-nothing-but-go-about-persuading-you-all-old-and-young-alike-not-2/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [Get money first; virtue comes later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/get-money-first-virtue-comes-later/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [I do nothing but go about persuading you all, old and young alike, not to take thought for your persons or your properties, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/i-do-nothing-but-go-about-persuading-you-all-old-and-young-alike-not/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [“For know that this is the command of God; and I believe that no greater good has ever happened in the state than my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/for-know-that-this-is-the-command-of-god-and-i-believe-that-no/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Money comes to life as it is spent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/money-comes-to-life-as-it-is-spent/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Family over money coz money comes and goes but loved ones can never be REPLACED!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dasilvakay/family-over-money-coz-money-comes-and-goes-but-loved-ones-can-never/) [Dasilvakay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dasilvakay/) > [Money comes to those who act intelligently, and God to those who hunger for his grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shri-radhe-maa/money-comes-to-those-who-act-intelligently-and-god-to-those-who/) [Shri Radhe Maa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shri-radhe-maa/) > [Can't lie money comes money goes so you need to blow it like a runny nose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabolous/can-t-lie-money-comes-money-goes-so-you-need-to-blow-it-like-a-runny/) [Fabolous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabolous/) > [Money comes and goes. I'm thankful I have money. I'm trying to save up more. I would like more money. But it's not happiness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dat-phan/money-comes-and-goes-i-m-thankful-i-have-money-i-m-trying-to-save-up/) [Dat Phan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dat-phan/) ## 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. 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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 Money quotes > [You've got to tell your money what to do or it will leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/you-ve-got-to-tell-your-money-what-to-do-or-it-will-leave/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [Don't let's lose sight of what creates wealth. It is open markets, it is capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/don-t-let-s-lose-sight-of-what-creates-wealth-it-is-open-markets-it/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Money is the kind of instrument which is very speedily produced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatoly-chubais/money-is-the-kind-of-instrument-which-is-very-speedily-produced/) [Anatoly Chubais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatoly-chubais/) > [I would borrow money all day long, if the cost of borrowing is less than the expected return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/i-would-borrow-money-all-day-long-if-the-cost-of-borrowing-is-less/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Maybe you can,t buy a big house.. 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My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. 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