--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This nickel, unlike most money, has…" description: "\"“This nickel, unlike most money, has actually done a job of work, has been physically responsible for a reaction.”\" — John Steinbeck" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/john-steinbeck-71_money_this-nickel-unlike-most-money-has-actual_1347567.jpg" --- # This nickel, unlike most money, has actually done a job of… ![“This nickel, unlike most money, has actually done a job of work, has been physically responsible for a reaction.” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/john-steinbeck-71_money_this-nickel-unlike-most-money-has-actual_1347567.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/john-steinbeck-71_money_this-nickel-unlike-most-money-has-actual_1347567.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/john-steinbeck-71_money_this-nickel-unlike-most-money-has-actual_1347567.jpg) > ““This nickel, unlike most money, has actually done a job of work, has been physically responsible for a reaction.”” [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even a small coin can have a tangible, physical impact when used purposefully. **In simple terms:** Coins can cause real effects when used Key Takeaway Recognize the power of seemingly insignificant actions Themes economics physics metaphor Mood inspirational pragmatic Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - budgeting - small gestures - environmental actions Key Concepts Agency material impact Questions to Reflect On - What small actions can you take today? - How do you measure the impact of minor contributions? A Different Perspective The metaphor may oversimplify complex economic systems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Nickel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nickel/) ## Related quotes > [Time is wealth, and unlike money when it is gone you cannot replace it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/time-is-wealth-and-unlike-money-when-it-is-gone-you-cannot-replace-it/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Unlike money, hope is all: for the rich as well as for the poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fausto-cercignani/unlike-money-hope-is-all-for-the-rich-as-well-as-for-the-poor/) [Fausto Cercignani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fausto-cercignani/) > [“Tears were one thing–unlike money...that could never run out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/tears-were-one-thing-unlike-money-that-could-never-run-out/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [“It should not always be about money but actually what brings you happiness and moves your soul✌”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/it-should-not-always-be-about-money-but-actually-what-brings-you/) [Timothy Pina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-pina/) > [I don't like money actually, but it quiets the nerves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-e-lewis/i-don-t-like-money-actually-but-it-quiets-the-nerves/) [Joe E. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-e-lewis/) > [Money can actually make you holy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-sanchez/money-can-actually-make-you-holy/) [Bo Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-sanchez/) > [The great thing about having money is that you can actually just get on with your life and not have to think about paying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mayle/the-great-thing-about-having-money-is-that-you-can-actually-just-get/) [Peter Mayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mayle/) > [We've always actually been remarkably commercially successful. Not in terms of making huge amounts of money, which we rarely do, but in terms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-coen/we-ve-always-actually-been-remarkably-commercially-successful-not-in/) [Ethan Coen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-coen/) > [We print money. The people that print the money is actually us. The government of the United States of America. By its very nature,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-chandor/we-print-money-the-people-that-print-the-money-is-actually-us-the/) [J. C. Chandor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-chandor/) > [I don't like money, actually, but it quiets my nerves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-louis/i-don-t-like-money-actually-but-it-quiets-my-nerves/) [Joe Louis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-louis/) > [Money, big money (which is actually a relative concept) is always, under any circumstances, a seduction, a test of morals, a temptation to sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-yeltsin/money-big-money-which-is-actually-a-relative-concept-is-always-under/) [Boris Yeltsin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-yeltsin/) > [“I used to think you could help people only with money. Actually, you can’t really help anyone, but you can give them pleasure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irmgard-keun/i-used-to-think-you-could-help-people-only-with-money-actually-you/) [Irmgard Keun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irmgard-keun/) > [When you go pick out my album, the money actually comes to me and my company directly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheem-devaughn/when-you-go-pick-out-my-album-the-money-actually-comes-to-me-and-my/) [Raheem DeVaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheem-devaughn/) > [They're making a ton of money, and no one is getting a nickel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-blades/they-re-making-a-ton-of-money-and-no-one-is-getting-a-nickel/) [Ruben Blades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-blades/) > [A nickel ain't worth a dime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-berra/a-nickel-ain-t-worth-a-dime/) [Yogi Berra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-berra/) ## More by John Steinbeck > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Prayer never brought in no side-meat. Takes a shoat to bring in pork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/prayer-never-brought-in-no-side-meat-takes-a-shoat-to-bring-in-pork/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“And now submarines are armed with mass murder, our silly, only way of deterring mass murder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/and-now-submarines-are-armed-with-mass-murder-our-silly-only-way-of/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“I’d think there are degrees of greatness,” Adam said. “I don’t think so,” said Samuel. “That would be like saying there is a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-d-think-there-are-degrees-of-greatness-adam-said-i-don-t-think-so/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“He was forever inventing a new way of doing an old thing and doing it better and quicker, but he never in his whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/he-was-forever-inventing-a-new-way-of-doing-an-old-thing-and-doing-it/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“You come back a changed man. Samuel, you don’t change him. He changes you. I can see the look of him in your face.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/you-come-back-a-changed-man-samuel-you-don-t-change-him-he-changes/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I find out of long experience that I admire all nations and hate all governments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-find-out-of-long-experience-that-i-admire-all-nations-and-hate-all/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [At about 10 o'clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows and in and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/at-about-10-o-clock-in-the-morning-the-sun-threw-a-bright-dust-laden/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I have noticed that there is no dissatisfaction like that of the rich. Feed a man, clothe him, put him in a good house,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-have-noticed-that-there-is-no-dissatisfaction-like-that-of-the-rich/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“Who in his mind has not probe the dark water?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/who-in-his-mind-has-not-probe-the-dark-water/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Sometimes, a lie is told in kindness. I don't believe it ever works kindly. The quick pain of truth can pass away, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/sometimes-a-lie-is-told-in-kindness-i-don-t-believe-it-ever-works/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [People like you to be something, preferably what they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/people-like-you-to-be-something-preferably-what-they-are/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“Suddenly he knew joy and sorrow felted into one fabric. Courage and fear were one thing too. He found that he had started to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/suddenly-he-knew-joy-and-sorrow-felted-into-one-fabric-courage-and/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I am writing this from what we Americans call Yurrp. In Yurrp writers are taken as seriously as Lana Turner's legs are in America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-am-writing-this-from-what-we-americans-call-yurrp-in-yurrp-writers/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I write because I like to write. I find joy in the texture and tone and rhythm of words. It is a satisfaction like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-write-because-i-like-to-write-i-find-joy-in-the-texture-and-tone/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) [Explore all 1,589 John Steinbeck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## More Money quotes > [You've got to tell your money what to do or it will leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/you-ve-got-to-tell-your-money-what-to-do-or-it-will-leave/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [Don't let's lose sight of what creates wealth. It is open markets, it is capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/don-t-let-s-lose-sight-of-what-creates-wealth-it-is-open-markets-it/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Money is the kind of instrument which is very speedily produced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatoly-chubais/money-is-the-kind-of-instrument-which-is-very-speedily-produced/) [Anatoly Chubais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatoly-chubais/) > [I would borrow money all day long, if the cost of borrowing is less than the expected return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/i-would-borrow-money-all-day-long-if-the-cost-of-borrowing-is-less/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Maybe you can,t buy a big house.. A new car.. A huge diamond ring.. But if you have just one true friend who loves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy/maybe-you-can-t-buy-a-big-house-a-new-car-a-huge-diamond-ring-but-if/) Cathy > [“Don't allow money to become the yardstick by which you measure the worth of the world around you!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-james-pritchard/don-t-allow-money-to-become-the-yardstick-by-which-you-measure-the/) [Andrew James Pritchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-james-pritchard/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [I doubt that we Americans can come to terms with our money neuroses without understanding the more florid pathology of the very rich for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-slater/i-doubt-that-we-americans-can-come-to-terms-with-our-money-neuroses/) [Philip Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-slater/) > [“The writer must earn money in order to be able to live and to write, but he must by no means live and write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goins/the-writer-must-earn-money-in-order-to-be-able-to-live-and-to-write/) [Jeff Goins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goins/) > [Jobs and money are never the primary cause of stress. Thinking, negative thinking causes stress. The real cause of all problems lie in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/jobs-and-money-are-never-the-primary-cause-of-stress-thinking/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [The man who works for the gold in the job rather than for the money in the pay envelope, is the fellow who gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-french-johnson/the-man-who-works-for-the-gold-in-the-job-rather-than-for-the-money/) Joseph French Johnson [Browse all 45,172 Money quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“This nickel, unlike most money, has actually done a job of work, has been physically responsible for a reaction.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Steinbeck" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/this-nickel-unlike-most-money-has-actually-done-a-job-of-work-has/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Money" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/this-nickel-unlike-most-money-has-actually-done-a-job-of-work-has/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/john-steinbeck-71_money_this-nickel-unlike-most-money-has-actual_1347567.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/john-steinbeck-71_money_this-nickel-unlike-most-money-has-actual_1347567.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/john-steinbeck-71_money_this-nickel-unlike-most-money-has-actual_1347567.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This nickel, unlike most money, has actually done a job of work, has been physically responsible for a…” — John Steinbeck", "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": "John Steinbeck", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“This nickel, unlike most money, has...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/this-nickel-unlike-most-money-has-actually-done-a-job-of-work-has/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/this-nickel-unlike-most-money-has-actually-done-a-job-of-work-has/#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 } } ] } ```