--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most men spend the first half of their…" description: "\"Most men spend the first half of their lives making the second half miserable.\" — Jean de la Bruyere" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_firsts_most-men-spend-the-first-half-of-their-l_3131449.png" --- # Most men spend the first half of their lives making the… ![“Most men spend the first half of their lives making the second half miserable.” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_firsts_most-men-spend-the-first-half-of-their-l_3131449.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_firsts_most-men-spend-the-first-half-of-their-l_3131449.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_firsts_most-men-spend-the-first-half-of-their-l_3131449.png) > “Most men spend the first half of their lives making the second half miserable.” [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often waste their early years on pursuits that later cause unhappiness, leading to a miserable later life. **In simple terms:** Early choices can doom later happiness. Key Takeaway Choose wisely early to avoid later misery. Themes wisdom life choices consequences self‑reflection Mood reflective cautionary Type philosophical advisory When to use this quote - career planning - relationship decisions - financial habits - health choices Key Concepts philosophy ethics human nature Questions to Reflect On - What early decisions are shaping your future? - How can you correct a harmful pattern before it deepens? A Different Perspective Changing habits later is difficult; early mistakes can have lasting impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Miserable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miserable/) [Misery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misery/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) ## Related quotes > [“If you find something you truly love, stick with it. There's nothing else in this world that will make you half as happy. 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Dogs spend 10 mins chasing their tail for entertainment. Men spend their lifetime chasing tail for entertainment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-uniquee/men-are-like-dogs-dogs-spend-10-mins-chasing-their-tail-for/) Lady Uniquee > [I do not understand men. They spend their lives to use their health to make money and then they spend their money to restore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/i-do-not-understand-men-they-spend-their-lives-to-use-their-health-to/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [I think men spend so much time passing for being men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-think-men-spend-so-much-time-passing-for-being-men/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Men will spend their health getting wealth. Then, gladly pay all they have earned to get health back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-murdock/men-will-spend-their-health-getting-wealth-then-gladly-pay-all-they/) [Mike Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-murdock/) > [There are men I could spend eternity with. But not this life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-norris/there-are-men-i-could-spend-eternity-with-but-not-this-life/) [Kathleen Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-norris/) > [A survey released today found that men spend twice as much on their mistresses for Christmas as they do on their wives. 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If she is thought faithful, she is perfidious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-unfaithful-woman-if-she-is-known-for-such-by-the-person-concerned/) [Jean De La Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Some people pretend they never were in love and never wrote poetry; two weaknesses which they dare not own -- one of the heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/some-people-pretend-they-never-were-in-love-and-never-wrote-poetry/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [How much wit, good-nature, indulgences, how many good offices and civilities, are required among friends to accomplish in some years what a lovely face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/how-much-wit-good-nature-indulgences-how-many-good-offices-and/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [A man starts upon a sudden, takes Pen, Ink, and Paper, and without ever having had a thought of it before, resolves within himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-starts-upon-a-sudden-takes-pen-ink-and-paper-and-without-ever/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Born merely for the purpose of digestion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/born-merely-for-the-purpose-of-digestion/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [A man of variable mind is not one man, but several men in one; he multiplies himself as often as he changes his taste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-of-variable-mind-is-not-one-man-but-several-men-in-one-he/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [He who knows how to wait for what he desires does not feel very desperate if he fails in obtaining it; and he, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/he-who-knows-how-to-wait-for-what-he-desires-does-not-feel-very/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [The court is like a palace built of marble; I mean that it is made up of very hard but very polished people. \[Fr.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-court-is-like-a-palace-built-of-marble-i-mean-that-it-is-made-up/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Grief that is dazed and speechless is out of fashion: the modern woman mourns her husband loudly and tells you the whole story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/grief-that-is-dazed-and-speechless-is-out-of-fashion-the-modern-woman/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Every hour in itself, as it respects us in particular, is the only one we can call our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/every-hour-in-itself-as-it-respects-us-in-particular-is-the-only-one/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [To express truth is to write naturally, forcibly, and delicately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/to-express-truth-is-to-write-naturally-forcibly-and-delicately/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [We perceive wen love begins and wen it declines by our embarrassment when alone together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/we-perceive-wen-love-begins-and-wen-it-declines-by-our-embarrassment/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [I call those men worldly, earthly, or coarse, whose hearts and minds are wholly fixed on this earth, that small part of the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-call-those-men-worldly-earthly-or-coarse-whose-hearts-and-minds-are/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) [Explore all 464 Jean de la Bruyere quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) ## More Firsts quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. 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