--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We need not envy certain people their…" description: "\"We need not envy certain people their great wealth; they acquired it at a heavy cost, which would not suit us; they staked their rest, their health, th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_bargains_we-need-not-envy-certain-people-their-gr_1084799.png" --- # We need not envy certain people their great wealth; they… ![“We need not envy certain people their great wealth; they acquired it at a heavy cost, which would not suit us; they staked their rest, their health, their honour and their conscience to acquire it, the price is too high, and there is nothing to be gained by such a bargain.” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_bargains_we-need-not-envy-certain-people-their-gr_1084799.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_bargains_we-need-not-envy-certain-people-their-gr_1084799.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_bargains_we-need-not-envy-certain-people-their-gr_1084799.png) > “We need not envy certain people their great wealth; they acquired it at a heavy cost, which would not suit us; they staked their rest, their health, their honour and their conscience to acquire it, the price is too high, and there is nothing to be gained by such a bargain.” [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. Envy of the rich is misplaced because their wealth often costs health, honor, and conscience, offering no true benefit. **In simple terms:** Riches can come at too high a price. Key Takeaway Value integrity over material gain. Themes ethics wealth envy Mood reflective critical Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - career ambition - financial planning - social comparison - health decisions Key Concepts moral cost true happiness Questions to Reflect On - Is the price of success worth the sacrifice? - How can we define success beyond money? A Different Perspective Wealth without virtue can lead to emptiness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bargains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bargains/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Envy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envy/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Honour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honour/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Peace of mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace-of-mind/) [Riches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/riches/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) ## Related quotes > [Lampis the ship owner, on being asked how he acquired his great wealth, replied, My great wealth was acquired with no difficulty, but my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/lampis-the-ship-owner-on-being-asked-how-he-acquired-his-great-wealth/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Everybody needs to understand that policies are going to change to make it unprofitable if you wreck the planet, those companies that continue exploring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-sachs/everybody-needs-to-understand-that-policies-are-going-to-change-to/) [Jeffrey Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-sachs/) > [I feel like I've paid a really heavy cost, a really heavy physical health cost, for the years of touring and how physical I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-james/i-feel-like-i-ve-paid-a-really-heavy-cost-a-really-heavy-physical/) [Jim James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-james/) > [Capitalism was the only system in history where wealth was not acquired by looting, but by production, not by force, but by trade, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/capitalism-was-the-only-system-in-history-where-wealth-was-not/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [In my view, there is no justice when the 15 wealthiest people in this country in the last two years, saw their wealth increase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/in-my-view-there-is-no-justice-when-the-15-wealthiest-people-in-this/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [Care may acquire wealth, which, when acquired, care must guard and worry about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pasquier-quesnel/care-may-acquire-wealth-which-when-acquired-care-must-guard-and-worry/) [Pasquier Quesnel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pasquier-quesnel/) > [A man who knows how to make good bargains or finds his money increase in his coffers, thinks presently that he has a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-who-knows-how-to-make-good-bargains-or-finds-his-money-increase/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Let us not envy some men their accumulated riches; their burden would be too heavy for us; we could not sacrifice, as they do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/let-us-not-envy-some-men-their-accumulated-riches-their-burden-would/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Those fortunate to achieve great wealth should put it to work for the good of humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-allen/those-fortunate-to-achieve-great-wealth-should-put-it-to-work-for-the/) [Paul Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-allen/) > [Decide now that you are worthy of great wealth and it will be your first step toward great prosperity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-hardy/decide-now-that-you-are-worthy-of-great-wealth-and-it-will-be-your/) [Darren Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-hardy/) > [I didn't grow up with great privilege, nor did I grow up wanting for anything. I was a middle-class kid and, relative to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-damon/i-didn-t-grow-up-with-great-privilege-nor-did-i-grow-up-wanting-for/) [Matt Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-damon/) > [Your Highnesses have an Other World here, by which our holy faith can be so greatly advanced and from which such great wealth can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-columbus/your-highnesses-have-an-other-world-here-by-which-our-holy-faith-can/) [Christopher Columbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-columbus/) > [Great wealth often curses all who touch it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-darrow/great-wealth-often-curses-all-who-touch-it/) [Clarence Darrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-darrow/) > [You obviously don't know what an Old Man of the Sea great wealth is. It is not a fat purse and time to spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/you-obviously-don-t-know-what-an-old-man-of-the-sea-great-wealth-is/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [I am simply unable to understand the value placed by so many people upon great wealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/i-am-simply-unable-to-understand-the-value-placed-by-so-many-people/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) ## More by Jean de la Bruyere > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [The unfaithful woman, if she is known for such by the person concerned, is only unfaithful. 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 Bargains quotes > [I have thoroughly tried school-keeping, and found that my expenses were in proportion, or rather out of proportion, to my income,for I was obliged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-have-thoroughly-tried-school-keeping-and-found-that-my-expenses/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [You don't bargain with terrorists. You don't appease terrorists. And anybody who believes that this is about something we've done has to ask themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chertoff/you-don-t-bargain-with-terrorists-you-don-t-appease-terrorists-and/) [Michael Chertoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chertoff/) > [To love unconditionally requires no contracts, bargains or agreements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-woodman/to-love-unconditionally-requires-no-contracts-bargains-or-agreements/) [Marion Woodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-woodman/) > [If you want something and don't get it, there are only two reasons. You either really didn't want it, or you tried to bargain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/if-you-want-something-and-don-t-get-it-there-are-only-two-reasons-you/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Our goal is to find an outstanding business at a sensible price, not a mediocre business at a bargain price.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/our-goal-is-to-find-an-outstanding-business-at-a-sensible-price-not-a/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [What we shouldn't be doing is trying to take away your rights to bargain for better wages or working conditions... These so-called "right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-shouldn-t-be-doing-is-trying-to-take-away-your-rights-to/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I would prefer to remain in prison for another 20 years than bargain my beliefs for freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-geagea/i-would-prefer-to-remain-in-prison-for-another-20-years-than-bargain/) Samir Geagea > [Let us not envy some men their accumulated riches; their burden would be too heavy for us; we could not sacrifice, as they do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/let-us-not-envy-some-men-their-accumulated-riches-their-burden-would/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Off-the-rack solutions, like bargain basement dresses, never fit anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-giroud/off-the-rack-solutions-like-bargain-basement-dresses-never-fit-anymore/) [Francoise Giroud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-giroud/) > [The natives are very exact and punctual in the bounds of their lands, belonging to this or that prince or people, even to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-williams/the-natives-are-very-exact-and-punctual-in-the-bounds-of-their-lands/) [Roger Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-williams/) > [“Employment bargains your life and time for a piece of currency”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/employment-bargains-your-life-and-time-for-a-piece-of-currency/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [Community colleges are great bargains. They avoid the fancy amenities four-year liberal arts colleges need in order to lure the children of the middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/community-colleges-are-great-bargains-they-avoid-the-fancy-amenities/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [I'm a bargain shopper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheyenne-kimball/i-m-a-bargain-shopper/) [Cheyenne Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheyenne-kimball/) > [Leisure is gone,--gone where the spinning-wheels are gone, and the pack-horses, and the slow wagons, and the peddlers, who brought bargains to the door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/leisure-is-gone-gone-where-the-spinning-wheels-are-gone-and-the-pack/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Every man ought to be in love a few times in his life, and to have a smart attack of the fever. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/every-man-ought-to-be-in-love-a-few-times-in-his-life-and-to-have-a/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) [Browse all 262 Bargains quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bargains/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We need not envy certain people their great wealth; they acquired it at a heavy cost, which would not suit us; they staked their rest, their health, their honour and their conscience to acquire it, the price is too high, and there is nothing to be gained by such a bargain.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jean de la Bruyere" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/we-need-not-envy-certain-people-their-great-wealth-they-acquired-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bargains" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/we-need-not-envy-certain-people-their-great-wealth-they-acquired-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_bargains_we-need-not-envy-certain-people-their-gr_1084799.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_bargains_we-need-not-envy-certain-people-their-gr_1084799.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_bargains_we-need-not-envy-certain-people-their-gr_1084799.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We need not envy certain people their great wealth; they acquired it at a heavy cost, which would not suit…” — Jean de la Bruyere", "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": "Jean de la Bruyere", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We need not envy certain people...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/we-need-not-envy-certain-people-their-great-wealth-they-acquired-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/we-need-not-envy-certain-people-their-great-wealth-they-acquired-it/#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 } } ] } ```