--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wisdom begins with sacrifice of immediate…" description: "\"Wisdom begins with sacrifice of immediate pleasures for long-range purposes.\" — Louis Finkelstein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/louis-finkelstein-35078_long_wisdom-begins-with-sacrifice-of-immediat_2121287.jpg" --- # Wisdom begins with sacrifice of immediate pleasures for… ![“Wisdom begins with sacrifice of immediate pleasures for long-range purposes.” quote by Louis Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/louis-finkelstein-35078_long_wisdom-begins-with-sacrifice-of-immediat_2121287.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/louis-finkelstein-35078_long_wisdom-begins-with-sacrifice-of-immediat_2121287.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/louis-finkelstein-35078_long_wisdom-begins-with-sacrifice-of-immediat_2121287.jpg) > “Wisdom begins with sacrifice of immediate pleasures for long-range purposes.” [Louis Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-finkelstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True wisdom requires delaying short‑term pleasures for long‑term goals. **In simple terms:** Sacrifice now for future benefit. Key Takeaway Practice delayed gratification. Themes wisdom self‑discipline future‑orientation Mood thoughtful patient Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career planning - financial investing - health goals Key Concepts long‑term planning ethical growth Questions to Reflect On - What pleasures can you postpone for greater gain? - How does delayed gratification shape character? A Different Perspective Immediate rewards are tempting and may derail plans. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [“If a man begins his sacrifice when the flames are luminous, and considers for the offerings the signs of heaven, then the holy offerings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-mascaro/if-a-man-begins-his-sacrifice-when-the-flames-are-luminous-and/) [Juan Mascaró](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-mascaro/) > [Most people lead lives of frustration and disapointment. They enjoy temporary pleasures and long-lasting suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/most-people-lead-lives-of-frustration-and-disapointment-they-enjoy/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Real are the dreams of gods, and soothly pass their pleasures in a long immortal dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/real-are-the-dreams-of-gods-and-soothly-pass-their-pleasures-in-a/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [Real are the dreams of Gods, and smoothly pass Their pleasures in a long immortal dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/real-are-the-dreams-of-gods-and-smoothly-pass-their-pleasures-in-a/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [Maturity is achieved when a person postpones immediate pleasures for long-term values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-l-liebman/maturity-is-achieved-when-a-person-postpones-immediate-pleasures-for/) [Joshua L. Liebman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-l-liebman/) > [Wisdom begins in wonder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/wisdom-begins-in-wonder/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [“wisdom begins when you discover the difference between ‘That doesn’t make sense’ and ‘I don’t understand.’ ” “Then I must be very wisdom. I don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-doria-russell/wisdom-begins-when-you-discover-the-difference-between-that-doesn-t-2/) [Mary Doria Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-doria-russell/) > [“Wisdom begins with reverence for God." No God, no wisdom (witness your local university).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/wisdom-begins-with-reverence-for-god-no-god-no-wisdom-witness-your/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [At the end of knowledge, wisdom begins, and at the end of wisdom, there is not grief...but hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-alexander/at-the-end-of-knowledge-wisdom-begins-and-at-the-end-of-wisdom-there/) [Lloyd Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-alexander/) > [A man is getting along on the road to wisdom when he begins to realize that his opinion is just an opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-man-is-getting-along-on-the-road-to-wisdom-when-he-begins-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Wisdom begins when you discover the difference between "That doesn't make sense" and "I don't understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-doria-russell/wisdom-begins-when-you-discover-the-difference-between-that-doesn-t/) [Mary Doria Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-doria-russell/) > [“We feel very strongly that our own wisdom begins where that of the author leaves off and we could like him to provide us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/we-feel-very-strongly-that-our-own-wisdom-begins-where-that-of-the/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [The Spirit is neither good nor bad, it runs where the wild heart leads" "Wisdom begins in wonder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/the-spirit-is-neither-good-nor-bad-it-runs-where-the-wild-heart-leads/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [Wisdom begins at the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-webster/wisdom-begins-at-the-end/) [Daniel Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-webster/) > [“He learned that the lives of men are short and filled with pain, yet each one a priceless treasure, whether it be that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-alexander/he-learned-that-the-lives-of-men-are-short-and-filled-with-pain-yet/) [Lloyd Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-alexander/) ## More by Louis Finkelstein > [The Talmud derives its authority from the position held by the ancient (Pharisee) academies. The teachers of those academies, both of Babylonia and of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-finkelstein/the-talmud-derives-its-authority-from-the-position-held-by-the/) [Louis Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-finkelstein/) > [Pharisaism became Talmudism...But the spirit of the Ancient Pharisee survives unaltered. When the Jew...studies the Talmud, he is actually repeating the arguments used in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-finkelstein/pharisaism-became-talmudism-but-the-spirit-of-the-ancient-pharisee/) [Louis Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-finkelstein/) > [The road to success, and by that I mean... the possibility of giving the best one has to the cause that one loves most,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-finkelstein/the-road-to-success-and-by-that-i-mean-the-possibility-of-giving-the/) [Louis Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-finkelstein/) > [It is a grave matter to enter a war, without adequate military preparation; it may prove fatal to come into peace, without moral and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-finkelstein/it-is-a-grave-matter-to-enter-a-war-without-adequate-military/) [Louis Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-finkelstein/) > [From the long range point of view, I do not know of anything we can do more important than to make some contribution to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-finkelstein/from-the-long-range-point-of-view-i-do-not-know-of-anything-we-can-do/) [Louis Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-finkelstein/) > [For as Jews, the problem happens to be more urgent and vital than for others; because the destruction of religion on America will involve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-finkelstein/for-as-jews-the-problem-happens-to-be-more-urgent-and-vital-than-for/) [Louis Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-finkelstein/) > [It therefore become essential for the future of Judaism itself that its advancement should be correlated with a similar effort to advance the cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-finkelstein/it-therefore-become-essential-for-the-future-of-judaism-itself-that/) [Louis Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-finkelstein/) > [A rabbi should not despair if people do not do as much as they should. Every parent has that with children. God is merciful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-finkelstein/a-rabbi-should-not-despair-if-people-do-not-do-as-much-as-they-should/) [Louis Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-finkelstein/) > [We realize that Judaism as a faith can survive only in an atmosphere of general faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-finkelstein/we-realize-that-judaism-as-a-faith-can-survive-only-in-an-atmosphere/) [Louis Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-finkelstein/) > [I hope to devote all of my spare time, which ordinarily would go to research, my summers, and every ounce of strength I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-finkelstein/i-hope-to-devote-all-of-my-spare-time-which-ordinarily-would-go-to/) [Louis Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-finkelstein/) > [In taking action we must remember that the things which are happening to the Jews today are but a part of the general disintegration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-finkelstein/in-taking-action-we-must-remember-that-the-things-which-are-happening/) [Louis Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-finkelstein/) > [I feel very strongly that it is vital for us to constantly keep in mind the fact that the Jewish problem is but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-finkelstein/i-feel-very-strongly-that-it-is-vital-for-us-to-constantly-keep-in/) [Louis Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-finkelstein/) [Explore all 13 Louis Finkelstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-finkelstein/) ## More Long quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. 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I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [ \[The Dalai Lama\] told me some years ago, "I've made every concession to China, and I've been as open and tolerant as I could,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-told-me-some-years-ago-i-ve-made-every-concession-to/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade > [Long before the 2016 presidential campaign, confidential sources had alerted me to longstanding misuses of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court system and the erosion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharyl-attkisson/long-before-the-2016-presidential-campaign-confidential-sources-had/) [Sharyl Attkisson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharyl-attkisson/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I was born and raised in Orlando, where the economy and culture has been powerfully shaped by tourism, and so I've long been interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-was-born-and-raised-in-orlando-where-the-economy-and-culture-has/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) Browse all 39,551 Long quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Wisdom begins with sacrifice of immediate pleasures for long-range purposes.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Louis Finkelstein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-finkelstein/wisdom-begins-with-sacrifice-of-immediate-pleasures-for-long-range/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Long" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-finkelstein/wisdom-begins-with-sacrifice-of-immediate-pleasures-for-long-range/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/louis-finkelstein-35078_long_wisdom-begins-with-sacrifice-of-immediat_2121287.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/louis-finkelstein-35078_long_wisdom-begins-with-sacrifice-of-immediat_2121287.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/louis-finkelstein-35078_long_wisdom-begins-with-sacrifice-of-immediat_2121287.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Wisdom begins with sacrifice of immediate pleasures for long-range purposes.” — Louis Finkelstein", "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": "Louis Finkelstein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-finkelstein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Wisdom begins with sacrifice of immediate...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-finkelstein/wisdom-begins-with-sacrifice-of-immediate-pleasures-for-long-range/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-finkelstein/wisdom-begins-with-sacrifice-of-immediate-pleasures-for-long-range/#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 } } ] } ```