--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wealth and honours, which most men…" description: "\"Wealth and honours, which most men pursue, easily change masters; they desert to the side which excels in virtue, industry, and endurance of toil, and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/660/john-milton-191_abandon_wealth-and-honours-which-most-men-pursue_350771.png" --- # Wealth and honours, which most men pursue, easily change… ![“Wealth and honours, which most men pursue, easily change masters; they desert to the side which excels in virtue, industry, and endurance of toil, and they abandon the slothful.” quote by John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/660/john-milton-191_abandon_wealth-and-honours-which-most-men-pursue_350771.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/660/john-milton-191_abandon_wealth-and-honours-which-most-men-pursue_350771.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/660/john-milton-191_abandon_wealth-and-honours-which-most-men-pursue_350771.png) > “Wealth and honours, which most men pursue, easily change masters; they desert to the side which excels in virtue, industry, and endurance of toil, and they abandon the slothful.” [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wealth and honor are fleeting; they favor those who work hard and are virtuous, leaving lazy people behind. **In simple terms:** Riches favor the diligent, not the lazy. Key Takeaway Value hard work over fleeting status. Themes hard work virtue transience social values Mood reflective serious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - career advancement - personal finance - community leadership - education - public policy Key Concepts meritocracy ethical philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How do you define success beyond material gain? - What habits help you stay virtuous under pressure? A Different Perspective Wealth can be lost quickly, making reliance on it risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desert/) [Endurance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endurance/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Honour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honour/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Toil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toil/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) ## Related quotes > [“When wealth and honours lead to arrogancy, this brings its evil on itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/when-wealth-and-honours-lead-to-arrogancy-this-brings-its-evil-on/) [Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/) > [Conversion is a change of masters. 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You cant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-housden/when-we-fall-utterly-something-gathers-us-up-but-our-falling-must-be/) [Roger Housden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-housden/) > [every subjective phenomenon is essentially connected with a single point of view, and it seems inevitable that an objective, physical theory will abandon that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nagel/every-subjective-phenomenon-is-essentially-connected-with-a-single/) [Thomas Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nagel/) > [Can you dissolve your ego? Can you abandon the idea of self and other? Can you relinquish the notions of male and female, short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/can-you-dissolve-your-ego-can-you-abandon-the-idea-of-self-and-other/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [Every great thing starts with an idea, followed by a doubt and finally a resolve to abandon or pursue. 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