--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The ways by which you get money almost…" description: "\"“The ways by which you get money almost without exception lead downward”\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/051/henry-david-thoreau-20_money_the-ways-by-which-you-get-money-almost-w_2047250.jpg" --- # The ways by which you get money almost without exception… ![“The ways by which you get money almost without exception lead downward” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/051/henry-david-thoreau-20_money_the-ways-by-which-you-get-money-almost-w_2047250.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/051/henry-david-thoreau-20_money_the-ways-by-which-you-get-money-almost-w_2047250.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/051/henry-david-thoreau-20_money_the-ways-by-which-you-get-money-almost-w_2047250.jpg) > ““The ways by which you get money almost without exception lead downward”” [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. Pursuing easy or dubious wealth often results in moral or personal decline. **In simple terms:** Quick money can harm you. Key Takeaway Choose honest work over shortcuts. Themes ethics money consequences Mood cautious reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career decisions - investment choices - personal finance - entrepreneurship - risk assessment Key Concepts materialism integrity longterm vs shortterm Questions to Reflect On - What values guide your financial choices? - How do you assess long‑term impact of earnings? A Different Perspective Not all easy money is harmful; some legitimate opportunities require effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Downward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/downward/) [Lead Downward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lead-downward-3840140/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Money Exception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money-exception-1618778/) [Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich/) [Ways Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ways-money-1156964/) ## Related quotes > [The way by which you may get money almost without exception leads downward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-way-by-which-you-may-get-money-almost-without-exception-leads/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“The ways by which you may get your money almost without exception lead downward. To have done anything by which you earn money 'merely'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-ways-by-which-you-may-get-your-money-almost-without-exception/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“but what I have realized over time is that in many ways, money spells freedom. If you learn to control your finances, you won’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-amoruso/but-what-i-have-realized-over-time-is-that-in-many-ways-money-spells/) [Sophia Amoruso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-amoruso/) > [“There are plenty of other ways to get money, including chance, speculation, marriage, inheritance, theft, extortion, fraud, monopoly, graft, lobbying, counterfeiting, and prospecting. Most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-graham/there-are-plenty-of-other-ways-to-get-money-including-chance/) [Paul Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-graham/) > [“It’s crazy, but it’s just money. There’s lots of ways to get money,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruta-sepetys/it-s-crazy-but-it-s-just-money-there-s-lots-of-ways-to-get-money/) [Ruta Sepetys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruta-sepetys/) > [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/) > [In actual life a downward movement may sometimes be made the beginning of an ascent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/in-actual-life-a-downward-movement-may-sometimes-be-made-the/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [“The basic principle is that the very things that can be your downfall in life can be used to raise yourself. If you simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadhguru/the-basic-principle-is-that-the-very-things-that-can-be-your-downfall/) [Sadhguru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadhguru/) > [No one can afford to look downward for his enjoyments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starr-jordan/no-one-can-afford-to-look-downward-for-his-enjoyments/) [David Starr Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starr-jordan/) > [“do not fear the one who is up but for the downward for he stands a better chance of getting up and the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojoquotes/do-not-fear-the-one-who-is-up-but-for-the-downward-for-he-stands-a/) [JojoQuotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojoquotes/) > [There was no time anymore to be quiet or still or pray. So, in many ways, that's what led to my downward spin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/there-was-no-time-anymore-to-be-quiet-or-still-or-pray-so-in-many/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [Through incarnations, some beings do go down. That is to say, they forget. The soul falls into an eclipse of itself and there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/through-incarnations-some-beings-do-go-down-that-is-to-say-they/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Being against other people's policies eventually puts you in a downward spiral. It's fine to be principled and oppose views that you don't agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/being-against-other-people-s-policies-eventually-puts-you-in-a/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [We have been so long in a downward spin, the angels are calling us up. We are meant to fly and with our spirits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/we-have-been-so-long-in-a-downward-spin-the-angels-are-calling-us-up/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [What I was concerned about when I wrote the 'Downward Spiral' record was being a self-centred destructive force. The point was tearing down everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/what-i-was-concerned-about-when-i-wrote-the-downward-spiral-record/) [Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/) ## 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 Downward quotes > [What I was concerned about when I wrote the 'Downward Spiral' record was being a self-centred destructive force. The point was tearing down everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/what-i-was-concerned-about-when-i-wrote-the-downward-spiral-record/) [Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/) > [We have been so long in a downward spin, the angels are calling us up. We are meant to fly and with our spirits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/we-have-been-so-long-in-a-downward-spin-the-angels-are-calling-us-up/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Being against other people's policies eventually puts you in a downward spiral. It's fine to be principled and oppose views that you don't agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/being-against-other-people-s-policies-eventually-puts-you-in-a/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [Through incarnations, some beings do go down. That is to say, they forget. The soul falls into an eclipse of itself and there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/through-incarnations-some-beings-do-go-down-that-is-to-say-they/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [There was no time anymore to be quiet or still or pray. So, in many ways, that's what led to my downward spin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/there-was-no-time-anymore-to-be-quiet-or-still-or-pray-so-in-many/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [“do not fear the one who is up but for the downward for he stands a better chance of getting up and the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojoquotes/do-not-fear-the-one-who-is-up-but-for-the-downward-for-he-stands-a/) [JojoQuotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojoquotes/) > [No one can afford to look downward for his enjoyments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starr-jordan/no-one-can-afford-to-look-downward-for-his-enjoyments/) [David Starr Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starr-jordan/) > [“The basic principle is that the very things that can be your downfall in life can be used to raise yourself. If you simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadhguru/the-basic-principle-is-that-the-very-things-that-can-be-your-downfall/) [Sadhguru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadhguru/) > [In actual life a downward movement may sometimes be made the beginning of an ascent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/in-actual-life-a-downward-movement-may-sometimes-be-made-the/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [So whether you do your first downward dog at 14 or 44, it’s not your history but your presence on your mat that counts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-pattabhi-jois/so-whether-you-do-your-first-downward-dog-at-14-or-44-it-s-not-your/) [K. Pattabhi Jois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-pattabhi-jois/) > [The point of conservatism is not that it prevents movement forward and upward, but that it prevents movement backward and downward, into chaotic darkness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/the-point-of-conservatism-is-not-that-it-prevents-movement-forward/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [Comedy is a downward slicing sword sometimes, looking down and laughing at people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/comedy-is-a-downward-slicing-sword-sometimes-looking-down-and/) [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) > [From forty to fifty a man must move upward, or the natural falling off in the vigor of life will carry him rapidly downward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/from-forty-to-fifty-a-man-must-move-upward-or-the-natural-falling-off/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [“The way upward and the way downward are the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heraclitus/the-way-upward-and-the-way-downward-are-the-same/) [Heraclitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heraclitus/) > [Life is most delightful on the downward slope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/life-is-most-delightful-on-the-downward-slope/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) [Browse all 57 Downward quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/downward/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The ways by which you get money almost without exception lead downward”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-ways-by-which-you-get-money-almost-without-exception-lead-downward/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Downward" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-ways-by-which-you-get-money-almost-without-exception-lead-downward/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/051/henry-david-thoreau-20_money_the-ways-by-which-you-get-money-almost-w_2047250.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/051/henry-david-thoreau-20_money_the-ways-by-which-you-get-money-almost-w_2047250.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/051/henry-david-thoreau-20_money_the-ways-by-which-you-get-money-almost-w_2047250.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The ways by which you get money almost without exception lead downward” — 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": "“The ways by which you get...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-ways-by-which-you-get-money-almost-without-exception-lead-downward/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-ways-by-which-you-get-money-almost-without-exception-lead-downward/#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 } } ] } ```