--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wealth can't buy heath, but heath can buy…" description: "\"Wealth can't buy heath, but heath can buy wealth.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/henry-david-thoreau-20_fortune-cookie_wealth-can-t-buy-heath-but-heath-can-buy_857947.jpg" --- # Wealth can't buy heath, but heath can buy wealth. ![“Wealth can't buy heath, but heath can buy wealth.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/henry-david-thoreau-20_fortune-cookie_wealth-can-t-buy-heath-but-heath-can-buy_857947.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/henry-david-thoreau-20_fortune-cookie_wealth-can-t-buy-heath-but-heath-can-buy_857947.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/henry-david-thoreau-20_fortune-cookie_wealth-can-t-buy-heath-but-heath-can-buy_857947.jpg) > “Wealth can't buy heath, but heath can buy wealth.” [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. Health is the foundation for wealth; without well‑being, material riches are meaningless. **In simple terms:** Health precedes wealth. Key Takeaway Prioritize health over material gain. Themes health wealth well‑being balance Mood calm optimistic Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - financial planning - lifestyle choices - preventive care Key Concepts holistic health philosophy of living Questions to Reflect On - How can you invest in health daily? - What wealth can health bring? A Different Perspective It may underestimate socioeconomic barriers to health. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buy Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buy-heath-819660/) [Buy Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buy-wealth-819662/) [Fortune cookie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortune-cookie/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Heath Buy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heath-buy-819661/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) [Wealth Buy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth-buy-499905/) ## Related quotes > [“Superfluous wealth can buy superfluities only. Money is not required to buy one necessary of the soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/superfluous-wealth-can-buy-superfluities-only-money-is-not-required-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Stay healthy so that you can use your wealth to buy pleasures and not painkillers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/stay-healthy-so-that-you-can-use-your-wealth-to-buy-pleasures-and-not/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I had the notion that, OK, so now we have all of this wealth, we could buy not only one expensive car, we could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-omidyar/i-had-the-notion-that-ok-so-now-we-have-all-of-this-wealth-we-could/) [Pierre Omidyar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-omidyar/) > [“We ordered Chinese takeout, and my fortune cookie said, “Don’t stop now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitl-n-r-kiernan/we-ordered-chinese-takeout-and-my-fortune-cookie-said-don-t-stop-now/) [Caitlín R. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitl-n-r-kiernan/) > [Once I opened up a fortune cookie and inside was the guy's cheque next to me I said hey buddy I got your cheque…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-dangerfield/once-i-opened-up-a-fortune-cookie-and-inside-was-the-guy-s-cheque/) [Rodney Dangerfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-dangerfield/) > [For children is there any happiness which is not also noise?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-william-faber/for-children-is-there-any-happiness-which-is-not-also-noise/) [Frederick William Faber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-william-faber/) > [“Thought for the day: Twitter...140 character limit...must be a great tool for fortune cookie writers...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-a-bucchianeri/thought-for-the-day-twitter-140-character-limit-must-be-a-great-tool/) [E.A. Bucchianeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-a-bucchianeri/) > [ “And did anyone here bring me food? I'm famished." \[Gregor's\] fingers found a stray fortune cookie from the night before and he pulled it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/and-did-anyone-here-bring-me-food-i-m-famished-gregor-s-fingers-found/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [A journey of 1000 miles begins with one step.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/a-journey-of-1000-miles-begins-with-one-step/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [“What good were fate and fortune anyway? If there was some sort of plan she was supposed to follow, it was unreadable to her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-lochen/what-good-were-fate-and-fortune-anyway-if-there-was-some-sort-of-plan/) [Andrea Lochen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-lochen/) > [“Cracking his knuckles, Cary dramatically prepared to open his fortune cookie. “Let’s see. Will I be rich? Famous? About to meet Mr. or Ms.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-day/cracking-his-knuckles-cary-dramatically-prepared-to-open-his-fortune/) [Sylvia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-day/) > [Your heart will always make itself known through your words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-heart-will-always-make-itself-known-through-your-words/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A man of sixty has spent twenty years in bed and over three years in eating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/a-man-of-sixty-has-spent-twenty-years-in-bed-and-over-three-years-in/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [“The past is gone and tomorrow is at best a maybe. Live for this moment because it may be all you’ll ever have.” –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/the-past-is-gone-and-tomorrow-is-at-best-a-maybe-live-for-this-moment/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Trust your intuition. The universe is guiding your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/trust-your-intuition-the-universe-is-guiding-your-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## 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 Fortune cookie quotes > [Trust your intuition. The universe is guiding your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/trust-your-intuition-the-universe-is-guiding-your-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The past is gone and tomorrow is at best a maybe. Live for this moment because it may be all you’ll ever have.” –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/the-past-is-gone-and-tomorrow-is-at-best-a-maybe-live-for-this-moment/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [A man of sixty has spent twenty years in bed and over three years in eating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/a-man-of-sixty-has-spent-twenty-years-in-bed-and-over-three-years-in/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [Your heart will always make itself known through your words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-heart-will-always-make-itself-known-through-your-words/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Cracking his knuckles, Cary dramatically prepared to open his fortune cookie. “Let’s see. Will I be rich? Famous? About to meet Mr. or Ms.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-day/cracking-his-knuckles-cary-dramatically-prepared-to-open-his-fortune/) [Sylvia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-day/) > [“What good were fate and fortune anyway? If there was some sort of plan she was supposed to follow, it was unreadable to her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-lochen/what-good-were-fate-and-fortune-anyway-if-there-was-some-sort-of-plan/) [Andrea Lochen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-lochen/) > [A journey of 1000 miles begins with one step.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/a-journey-of-1000-miles-begins-with-one-step/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [ “And did anyone here bring me food? I'm famished." \[Gregor's\] fingers found a stray fortune cookie from the night before and he pulled it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/and-did-anyone-here-bring-me-food-i-m-famished-gregor-s-fingers-found/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“Thought for the day: Twitter...140 character limit...must be a great tool for fortune cookie writers...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-a-bucchianeri/thought-for-the-day-twitter-140-character-limit-must-be-a-great-tool/) [E.A. Bucchianeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-a-bucchianeri/) > [For children is there any happiness which is not also noise?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-william-faber/for-children-is-there-any-happiness-which-is-not-also-noise/) [Frederick William Faber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-william-faber/) > [Once I opened up a fortune cookie and inside was the guy's cheque next to me I said hey buddy I got your cheque…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-dangerfield/once-i-opened-up-a-fortune-cookie-and-inside-was-the-guy-s-cheque/) [Rodney Dangerfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-dangerfield/) > [“We ordered Chinese takeout, and my fortune cookie said, “Don’t stop now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitl-n-r-kiernan/we-ordered-chinese-takeout-and-my-fortune-cookie-said-don-t-stop-now/) [Caitlín R. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitl-n-r-kiernan/) > [A foolish man thinks he knows everything. A wise man knows he doesn't," Finn replied absently, still looking down at the book. "That's such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hocking/a-foolish-man-thinks-he-knows-everything-a-wise-man-knows-he-doesn-t/) [Amanda Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hocking/) > [Warning: fortune cookies don't care what happens to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/warning-fortune-cookies-don-t-care-what-happens-to-you/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [I got one entire song from fortune cookies (Land of Sunshine). On another one, I took words from different Frank Sinatra songs and pasted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-patton/i-got-one-entire-song-from-fortune-cookies-land-of-sunshine-on/) [Mike Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-patton/) [Browse all 98 Fortune cookie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortune-cookie/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Wealth can't buy heath, but heath can buy wealth.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-can-t-buy-heath-but-heath-can-buy-wealth/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fortune cookie" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-can-t-buy-heath-but-heath-can-buy-wealth/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/henry-david-thoreau-20_fortune-cookie_wealth-can-t-buy-heath-but-heath-can-buy_857947.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/henry-david-thoreau-20_fortune-cookie_wealth-can-t-buy-heath-but-heath-can-buy_857947.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/henry-david-thoreau-20_fortune-cookie_wealth-can-t-buy-heath-but-heath-can-buy_857947.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Wealth can't buy heath, but heath can buy wealth.” — 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": "Wealth can't buy heath, but heath...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-can-t-buy-heath-but-heath-can-buy-wealth/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-can-t-buy-heath-but-heath-can-buy-wealth/#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 } } ] } ```