Heirs Quote by Jean de la Bruyere
“The spendthrift robs his heirs the miser robs himself.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Les Caractères by Jean de la Bruyere, 1688
Self‑indulgence harms both the spendthrift and the miser, showing that reckless consumption ultimately damages the giver and the receiver.
In simple terms: Spending recklessly hurts everyone involved.
Key Takeaway
Practice moderation and consider long‑term impact.
Themes
economics
ethics
self‑control
generosity
consequences
Mood
thoughtful
cautionary
Type
ethical
practical
When to use this quote
- budgeting
- family inheritance
- personal finance
- gift giving
Key Concepts
stoicism
behavioral economics
intergenerational equity
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you balance generosity with prudence?
- What limits protect both giver and receiver?
A Different Perspective
Miserly restraint can also stifle generosity.
![“He [the miser] falls down and worships the god of this world, but will have neither its pomps, its vanities nor its pleasures for his trouble.” quote by Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/091/charles-caleb-colton-270_down-and_he-the-miser-falls-down-and-worships-the_569127.jpg)
![“The court is like a palace built of marble; I mean that it is made up of very hard but very polished people. [Fr., La cour est comme un edifice bati de marbre; je veux dire qu'elle est composee d'hommes fort durs mais fort polis.]” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fcf/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_built_the-court-is-like-a-palace-built-of-marb_77288.jpg)
![“People of Haiti, I am the heir to the political philosophy, the doctrine and the revolution which my late father incarnated as president-for-life [and] I have decided to continue his work with the same fierce energy and the same intransigence.” quote by Jean-Claude Duvalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0d4/jean-claude-duvalier-45337_decided_people-of-haiti-i-am-the-heir-to-the-pol_50097.jpg)
![“[W]e are the heirs of a past of rope, fire, and murder. I for one am not ashamed of this past. My shame is for those who became so inhuman that they could inflict this torture upon us.” quote by Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ae7/martin-luther-king-jr-127_ashamed_w-e-are-the-heirs-of-a-past-of-rope-fire_62341.jpg)
![“Skilled in every trick, a worthy heir of his paternal craft, he would make black look like white, and white look black. [Lat., Furtum ingeniosus ad omne, Qui facere assueret, patriae non degener artis, Candida de nigris, et de candentibus atra.]” quote by Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/132/ovid-276_ads_skilled-in-every-trick-a-worthy-heir-of_175741.jpg)