Business Quote by J. R. R. Tolkien
“Some sang too that Thror and Thrain would come back one day and gold would flow in rivers, through the mountain-gates, and all that land would be filled with new song and new laughter. But this pleasant legend did not much affect their daily business.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Hobbit, J. R. R. Tolkien, 1937
A hopeful prophecy about wealth and joy is contrasted with ordinary, unchanged daily life.
In simple terms: Optimism about future riches doesn’t change present routines.
Key Takeaway
Don’t let future fantasies distract from present duties.
Themes
hope
wealth
daily life
distraction
myth
Mood
contemplative
neutral
Type
literary
reflective
When to use this quote
- business decisions
- personal finance
- community planning
- goal setting
Key Concepts
prophecy
economic optimism
cultural narrative
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you let future dreams affect today’s work?
- How can optimism be balanced with practicality?
A Different Perspective
The legend may be ignored because immediate concerns dominate.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)