---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our desires have a way of getting bigger…"
description: "\"Our desires have a way of getting bigger with our incomes.\" — Ivy Compton-Burnett"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/ivy-compton-burnett-10491_bigger_our-desires-have-a-way-of-getting-bigger_18999.jpg"
---

#  Our desires have a way of getting bigger with our incomes.

![“Our desires have a way of getting bigger with our incomes.” quote by Ivy Compton-Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/ivy-compton-burnett-10491_bigger_our-desires-have-a-way-of-getting-bigger_18999.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/ivy-compton-burnett-10491_bigger_our-desires-have-a-way-of-getting-bigger_18999.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/ivy-compton-burnett-10491_bigger_our-desires-have-a-way-of-getting-bigger_18999.jpg)

> “Our desires have a way of getting bigger with our incomes.”

[Ivy Compton-Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Higher income often expands aspirations, leading people to want more than before.

**In simple terms:** Wealth fuels larger desires.

Key Takeaway

Money amplifies wants.

Themes

materialism psychology of desire economic behavior social comparison consumerism

Mood

ambitious reflective cautious

Type

observation advice

When to use this quote

- receiving a raise
- winning a lottery
- career promotion
- inheritance
- starting a business

Key Concepts

income effect aspiration dynamics behavioral economics

Practical Applications

- budget planning
- financial counseling

Questions to Reflect On

- How does increased income change personal goals?
- Can desire growth be managed responsibly?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Desires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desires/) [Income](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/income/)

## Related quotes

> [Our desires are the way that the healing life force comes through us and replenishes our bodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-northrup/our-desires-are-the-way-that-the-healing-life-force-comes-through-us/)

[Christiane Northrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-northrup/)

> [You have to respect everybody's desires and way of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-pablo-galavis/you-have-to-respect-everybody-s-desires-and-way-of-living/)

[Juan Pablo Galavis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-pablo-galavis/)

> [You have to respect everybodys desires and way of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-pablo-galavis/you-have-to-respect-everybodys-desires-and-way-of-living/)

[Juan Pablo Galavis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-pablo-galavis/)

> [“not to show them what is likely to excite their desires is the way to keep their minds from disorder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/not-to-show-them-what-is-likely-to-excite-their-desires-is-the-way-to/)

[Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/)

> [“Satisfying natural desires is fine, but natural desires have a way of being both competitive and consequential.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/satisfying-natural-desires-is-fine-but-natural-desires-have-a-way-of/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/i-wondered-why-the-baseball-kept-getting-bigger-then-it-hit-me/)

[Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/)

> [They ignore what problem they face now at least their happiness is getting bigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delsocorro/they-ignore-what-problem-they-face-now-at-least-their-happiness-is/)

Delsocorro

> [My heart just keeps getting bigger and bigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariska-hargitay/my-heart-just-keeps-getting-bigger-and-bigger/)

[Mariska Hargitay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariska-hargitay/)

> [“Uh huh. Oh, except for my underwear. They’re a little tight. I think my butt is getting bigger too.” “More for me to squeeze.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lane/uh-huh-oh-except-for-my-underwear-they-re-a-little-tight-i-think-my/)

[Nina Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lane/)

> [I just like getting bigger and bigger. Taking it to another level, even as far as features and production.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/westside-gunn/i-just-like-getting-bigger-and-bigger-taking-it-to-another-level-even/)

[Westside Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/westside-gunn/)

> [Squats and hang cleans. I love them. You can just feel yourself getting bigger and better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-fitzpatrick/squats-and-hang-cleans-i-love-them-you-can-just-feel-yourself-getting/)

[Ryan Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-fitzpatrick/)

> [His body is changing. He will strip down and start getting even bigger and stronger over the next few seasons and, seriously, how scary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-sailor/his-body-is-changing-he-will-strip-down-and-start-getting-even-bigger/)

Wendell Sailor

> [Dogs are getting bigger, according to a leading dog manufacturer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/dogs-are-getting-bigger-according-to-a-leading-dog-manufacturer/)

[Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/)

> [I wondered why the Frisbee was getting bigger, and then it hit me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wondered-why-the-frisbee-was-getting-bigger-and-then-it-hit-me/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I've been putting more muscle on in training to make sure I'm getting bigger so when the opponents come, I know that I'm strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/callum-hudson-odoi/i-ve-been-putting-more-muscle-on-in-training-to-make-sure-i-m-getting/)

[Callum Hudson-Odoi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/callum-hudson-odoi/)

## More by Ivy Compton-Burnett

> [I never know why self-sacrifice is noble. Why is it better to sacrifice oneself than someone else?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/i-never-know-why-self-sacrifice-is-noble-why-is-it-better-to/)

[Ivy Compton-Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/)

> [My youth is escaping without giving me anything it owes me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/my-youth-is-escaping-without-giving-me-anything-it-owes-me/)

[Ivy Compton-Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/)

> [It will be a beautiful family talk, mean and worried and full of sorrow and spite and excitement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/it-will-be-a-beautiful-family-talk-mean-and-worried-and-full-of/)

[Ivy Compton-Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/)

> [“People do not like to lose their lives. That is the reason why they should not take other people's.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/people-do-not-like-to-lose-their-lives-that-is-the-reason-why-they/)

[Ivy Compton-Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/)

> [Never is a long word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/never-is-a-long-word/)

[Ivy Compton-Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/)

> [A person who can really be called an unselfish person, has no place in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/a-person-who-can-really-be-called-an-unselfish-person-has-no-place-in/)

[Ivy Compton-Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/)

> [We do not discuss the members of our family to their faces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/we-do-not-discuss-the-members-of-our-family-to-their-faces/)

[Ivy Compton-Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/)

> [The plot is not very important to me, though a novel must have one, of course. It's just a line to hang the washing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/the-plot-is-not-very-important-to-me-though-a-novel-must-have-one-of/)

[Ivy Compton-Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/)

> [Time is not a great healer. It is an indifferent and perfunctory one. Sometimes it does not heal at all. And sometimes when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/time-is-not-a-great-healer-it-is-an-indifferent-and-perfunctory-one/)

[Ivy Compton-Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/)

> [There are different kinds of wrong. The people sinned against are not always the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/there-are-different-kinds-of-wrong-the-people-sinned-against-are-not/)

[Ivy Compton-Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/)

> [Pushing forty? She's hanging on for dear life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/pushing-forty-she-s-hanging-on-for-dear-life/)

[Ivy Compton-Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/)

> [Well, Buttermere, this is a day that is good to live and breathe in, that makes a man feel in his prime. Standing here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/well-buttermere-this-is-a-day-that-is-good-to-live-and-breathe-in/)

[Ivy Compton-Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/)

> [Civilized life exacts its toll.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/civilized-life-exacts-its-toll/)

[Ivy Compton-Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/)

> [We none of us talk to people as we do behind their backs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/we-none-of-us-talk-to-people-as-we-do-behind-their-backs/)

[Ivy Compton-Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/)

> [There isn't much to say. I haven't been at all deedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/there-isn-t-much-to-say-i-haven-t-been-at-all-deedy/)

[Ivy Compton-Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/)

[Explore all 65 Ivy Compton-Burnett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/)

## More Bigger quotes

> [The bigger the canvas, the better I do. I'm not so good at understated, kitchen-sink kinds of parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/the-bigger-the-canvas-the-better-i-do-i-m-not-so-good-at-understated/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/)

[Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/)

> [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/)

[Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/)

> [In China, people are moving from bigger cars to small hatches, and interestingly, the Indian market is graduating to bigger cars and sedans. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winfried-vahland/in-china-people-are-moving-from-bigger-cars-to-small-hatches-and/)

[Winfried Vahland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winfried-vahland/)

> [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/)

[Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/)

> [I just think structure can make a book feel so much bigger. It's the architecture. You could use flimsy materials if you wanted to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jami-attenberg/i-just-think-structure-can-make-a-book-feel-so-much-bigger-it-s-the/)

[Jami Attenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jami-attenberg/)

> [I've always thought that the most extraordinary special effect you could do is to buy a child at the moment of its birth, sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-ve-always-thought-that-the-most-extraordinary-special-effect-you/)

[Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/)

> [Max—you have a bigger mission than finding the flock's parents. Focus on helping the whole world, not just your friends. I held my wings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/max-you-have-a-bigger-mission-than-finding-the-flock-s-parents-focus/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [Sometimes people can write really great scenes and even a great episode, but they can't see the bigger picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-night-shyamalan/sometimes-people-can-write-really-great-scenes-and-even-a-great/)

[M. Night Shyamalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-night-shyamalan/)

> [Never be too busy for the people you love. Never allow pursuits or possessions to become bigger priorities than your relationships. Love is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-willis/never-be-too-busy-for-the-people-you-love-never-allow-pursuits-or/)

[Dave Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-willis/)

> [If you consider yourself a part of the culture, then finances can't allow you to be bigger than the actual art form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-jackson/if-you-consider-yourself-a-part-of-the-culture-then-finances-can-t/)

[Curtis Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-jackson/)

> [If we get better our customers will demand we get bigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-truett-cathy/if-we-get-better-our-customers-will-demand-we-get-bigger/)

[S. Truett Cathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-truett-cathy/)

> [ Their \[the U.S.’s\] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. This is what in defense is referred to as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/their-the-u-s-s-defense-budget-in-absolute-figures-is-almost-25-times/)

[Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/)

> [I think everyone has been annoyed at school or in their life, that's a type of bullying. So, you can take those feelings and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kodi-smit-mcphee/i-think-everyone-has-been-annoyed-at-school-or-in-their-life-that-s-a/)

[Kodi Smit-McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kodi-smit-mcphee/)

> [Athletes at all ages are bigger and stronger than ever before. And they are being encouraged - sometimes even incentivized, as we recently learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/athletes-at-all-ages-are-bigger-and-stronger-than-ever-before-and/)

[Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/)

Browse all 3,614 Bigger quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Our desires have a way of getting bigger with our incomes.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ivy Compton-Burnett"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/our-desires-have-a-way-of-getting-bigger-with-our-incomes/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bigger"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/our-desires-have-a-way-of-getting-bigger-with-our-incomes/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/ivy-compton-burnett-10491_bigger_our-desires-have-a-way-of-getting-bigger_18999.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/ivy-compton-burnett-10491_bigger_our-desires-have-a-way-of-getting-bigger_18999.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/ivy-compton-burnett-10491_bigger_our-desires-have-a-way-of-getting-bigger_18999.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Our desires have a way of getting bigger with our incomes.” — Ivy Compton-Burnett",
                "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": "Ivy Compton-Burnett",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Our desires have a way of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/our-desires-have-a-way-of-getting-bigger-with-our-incomes/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/our-desires-have-a-way-of-getting-bigger-with-our-incomes/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
