---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Decadence begins when the budget to…"
description: "\"“Decadence begins when the budget to beautify a man's home exceeds the coin spent to ensure its defense.”\" — Mark Lawrence"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36e/mark-lawrence-992_decadence_decadence-begins-when-the-budget-to-beau_3101074.png"
---

#  Decadence begins when the budget to beautify a man's home…

![“Decadence begins when the budget to beautify a man's home exceeds the coin spent to ensure its defense.” quote by Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36e/mark-lawrence-992_decadence_decadence-begins-when-the-budget-to-beau_3101074.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36e/mark-lawrence-992_decadence_decadence-begins-when-the-budget-to-beau_3101074.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36e/mark-lawrence-992_decadence_decadence-begins-when-the-budget-to-beau_3101074.png)

> ““Decadence begins when the budget to beautify a man's home exceeds the coin spent to ensure its defense.””

[Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

It warns that excessive spending on luxury can outweigh investment in security, leading to vulnerability.

**In simple terms:** Spending too much on beauty can compromise safety.

Key Takeaway

Balance aesthetics with protection.

Themes

luxury budget security priorities

Mood

cautious analytical

Type

advisory philosophical

When to use this quote

- home renovation
- personal finance
- defense planning
- city planning

Key Concepts

economics risk management

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you prioritize beauty vs. safety?
- What are the hidden costs of over‑decorating?

A Different Perspective

The quote assumes a direct trade‑off that may not always hold.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Begins Budget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/begins-budget-5374442/) [Budget Beautify](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/budget-beautify-5374441/) [Decadence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decadence/) [Decadence Begins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decadence-begins-566817/) [Home Exceeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home-exceeds-5374443/)

## Related quotes

> [“Decadence begins with the loss of restraint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pogue-harrison/decadence-begins-with-the-loss-of-restraint/)

[Robert Pogue Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pogue-harrison/)

> [“decadence begins when men no longer find within themselves a reason to relate their lives to that of others and not when material resources…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/decadence-begins-when-men-no-longer-find-within-themselves-a-reason/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I want my children to be bold,free,self-reliant and capable of changing the phase of that portion of the earth where they live. They may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amun-djoleto/i-want-my-children-to-be-bold-free-self-reliant-and-capable-of/)

[Amun Djoleto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amun-djoleto/)

> [The history of prevailing status quos shows decay and decadence infecting the opulent materialism of the Haves. The spiritual life of the Haves is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-history-of-prevailing-status-quos-shows-decay-and-decadence/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“He saw a chamber, broad and low, designed, in its every rich stain of picture and slumberous hanging, to appeal to the sensuous. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-capes/he-saw-a-chamber-broad-and-low-designed-in-its-every-rich-stain-of/)

[Bernard Capes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-capes/)

> [The attraction of horror is a mental, or even an intellectual, excitement, but the fascination of the repulsive, so noticeable incontemporary writing, can spring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/the-attraction-of-horror-is-a-mental-or-even-an-intellectual/)

[Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/)

> [Fundamentalists believe that we don't believe in anything. In their view of the world, they are in possession of absolute certainties, while we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/fundamentalists-believe-that-we-don-t-believe-in-anything-in-their/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [Misgovernment is of four kinds, often in combination. They are: 1) tyranny or oppression, of which history provides so many well-known examples that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-tuchman/misgovernment-is-of-four-kinds-often-in-combination-they-are-1/)

[Barbara Tuchman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-tuchman/)

> [Content without style is propaganda or adolescence. Style without content is decadence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/content-without-style-is-propaganda-or-adolescence-style-without/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [I definitely consider 'Poses' - the whole album in fact - to be kind of a miracle. Like the last breath of that moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/i-definitely-consider-poses-the-whole-album-in-fact-to-be-kind-of-a/)

[Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/)

> [“After two years' absence she finally returned to chilly Europe, a trifle weary, a trifle sad, disgusted by our banal entertainments, our shrunken landscapes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/after-two-years-absence-she-finally-returned-to-chilly-europe-a/)

[Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/)

> [“(Decadent style) is ingenious, complicated, learned, full of shades of meaning and research, always pushing further the limits of language... forcing itself to express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophile-gautier/decadent-style-is-ingenious-complicated-learned-full-of-shades-of/)

[Theophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/)

> [I think Illium can take care of himself.” “Not if he keeps flirting with you.” A fine, almost elegant tendril of heat, champagne and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/i-think-illium-can-take-care-of-himself-not-if-he-keeps-flirting-with/)

[Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/)

> [“Like symbolism, decadence puts forth the idea that the function of literature is to evoke impressions and 'correspondences', rather than to realistically depict the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asti-hustvedt/like-symbolism-decadence-puts-forth-the-idea-that-the-function-of/)

[Asti Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asti-hustvedt/)

> [One defining symptom of decadence is a fondness for vast and nonsensical extravagance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-silverberg/one-defining-symptom-of-decadence-is-a-fondness-for-vast-and/)

[Robert Silverberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-silverberg/)

## More by Mark Lawrence

> [“Assassination is murder with a touch more precision. Brother Sim is precise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/assassination-is-murder-with-a-touch-more-precision-brother-sim-is/)

[Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/)

> [The biggest lies we save for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/the-biggest-lies-we-save-for-ourselves/)

[Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/)

> [“We all practice self-deception to a degree; no man can handle complete honesty without being cut at each turn. There's not enough room in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/we-all-practice-self-deception-to-a-degree-no-man-can-handle-complete/)

[Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/)

> [“I've been known to be contrary. When something pushes me, I shove back. Even if the one doing the pushing is me. It would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/i-ve-been-known-to-be-contrary-when-something-pushes-me-i-shove-back/)

[Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/)

> [There's a slope down toward evil, a gentle gradient that can be ignored at each step, unfelt. It's not until you look back, see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/there-s-a-slope-down-toward-evil-a-gentle-gradient-that-can-be/)

[Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/)

> [“And that’s the riddle of existence for you. When to move and when to stay. Dwell too long and we become the prisoner of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/and-that-s-the-riddle-of-existence-for-you-when-to-move-and-when-to/)

[Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/)

> [“Fire isn’t patient. Fire does not negotiate. I should have known these things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/fire-isn-t-patient-fire-does-not-negotiate-i-should-have-known-these/)

[Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/)

> [“It's what I am, and if you want excuses, come and take them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/it-s-what-i-am-and-if-you-want-excuses-come-and-take-them/)

[Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/)

> [No half measures. Some things can’t be cut in half. You can’t half-love someone. You can’t half-betray, or half-lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/no-half-measures-some-things-can-t-be-cut-in-half-you-can-t-half-love/)

[Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/)

> [I've always seen 'no' as a challenge rather than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/i-ve-always-seen-no-as-a-challenge-rather-than-an-answer/)

[Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/)

> [“We wrap up our violent and mysterious world in a pretense of understanding. We paper over the voids of our comprehension with science and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/we-wrap-up-our-violent-and-mysterious-world-in-a-pretense-of/)

[Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/)

> [“A time of terror comes. A dark time. The graves continue to open and the Dead King prepares to sail.But the world holds worse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/a-time-of-terror-comes-a-dark-time-the-graves-continue-to-open-and/)

[Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/)

> [“I didn't ask anything—I hadn't the words. Instead I spoke the smallest one—the one I should have used more in my short and foolish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/i-didn-t-ask-anything-i-hadn-t-the-words-instead-i-spoke-the-smallest/)

[Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/)

> [“In the end though, everybody dies, but not everybody lives—the climber, though he may die young, will have lived.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/in-the-end-though-everybody-dies-but-not-everybody-lives-the-climber/)

[Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/)

> [“This is a bad idea." "If you ever stop saying that, I'll know it's time to start worrying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/this-is-a-bad-idea-if-you-ever-stop-saying-that-i-ll-know-it-s-time/)

[Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/)

[Explore all 310 Mark Lawrence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/)

## More Decadence quotes

> [One defining symptom of decadence is a fondness for vast and nonsensical extravagance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-silverberg/one-defining-symptom-of-decadence-is-a-fondness-for-vast-and/)

[Robert Silverberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-silverberg/)

> [“Like symbolism, decadence puts forth the idea that the function of literature is to evoke impressions and 'correspondences', rather than to realistically depict the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asti-hustvedt/like-symbolism-decadence-puts-forth-the-idea-that-the-function-of/)

[Asti Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asti-hustvedt/)

> [I think Illium can take care of himself.” “Not if he keeps flirting with you.” A fine, almost elegant tendril of heat, champagne and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/i-think-illium-can-take-care-of-himself-not-if-he-keeps-flirting-with/)

[Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/)

> [“(Decadent style) is ingenious, complicated, learned, full of shades of meaning and research, always pushing further the limits of language... forcing itself to express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophile-gautier/decadent-style-is-ingenious-complicated-learned-full-of-shades-of/)

[Theophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/)

> [“After two years' absence she finally returned to chilly Europe, a trifle weary, a trifle sad, disgusted by our banal entertainments, our shrunken landscapes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/after-two-years-absence-she-finally-returned-to-chilly-europe-a/)

[Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/)

> [I definitely consider 'Poses' - the whole album in fact - to be kind of a miracle. Like the last breath of that moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/i-definitely-consider-poses-the-whole-album-in-fact-to-be-kind-of-a/)

[Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/)

> [Content without style is propaganda or adolescence. Style without content is decadence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/content-without-style-is-propaganda-or-adolescence-style-without/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [Misgovernment is of four kinds, often in combination. They are: 1) tyranny or oppression, of which history provides so many well-known examples that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-tuchman/misgovernment-is-of-four-kinds-often-in-combination-they-are-1/)

[Barbara Tuchman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-tuchman/)

> [Fundamentalists believe that we don't believe in anything. In their view of the world, they are in possession of absolute certainties, while we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/fundamentalists-believe-that-we-don-t-believe-in-anything-in-their/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [The attraction of horror is a mental, or even an intellectual, excitement, but the fascination of the repulsive, so noticeable incontemporary writing, can spring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/the-attraction-of-horror-is-a-mental-or-even-an-intellectual/)

[Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/)

> [“He saw a chamber, broad and low, designed, in its every rich stain of picture and slumberous hanging, to appeal to the sensuous. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-capes/he-saw-a-chamber-broad-and-low-designed-in-its-every-rich-stain-of/)

[Bernard Capes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-capes/)

> [The history of prevailing status quos shows decay and decadence infecting the opulent materialism of the Haves. The spiritual life of the Haves is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-history-of-prevailing-status-quos-shows-decay-and-decadence/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I want my children to be bold,free,self-reliant and capable of changing the phase of that portion of the earth where they live. They may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amun-djoleto/i-want-my-children-to-be-bold-free-self-reliant-and-capable-of/)

[Amun Djoleto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amun-djoleto/)

> [“Evolution has no foresight. Complex machinery develops its own agendas. Brains — cheat. Feedback loops evolve to promote stable heartbeats and then stumble upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-watts/evolution-has-no-foresight-complex-machinery-develops-its-own-agendas/)

[Peter Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-watts/)

> [“Conventional, organized religion, in its most decadent form, is an inert parody of the genuine religious experience as much as modern occult organizations are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeena-schreck/conventional-organized-religion-in-its-most-decadent-form-is-an-inert/)

[Zeena Schreck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeena-schreck/)

[Browse all 204 Decadence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decadence/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Decadence begins when the budget to beautify a man's home exceeds the coin spent to ensure its defense.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mark Lawrence"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/decadence-begins-when-the-budget-to-beautify-a-man-s-home-exceeds-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Decadence"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/decadence-begins-when-the-budget-to-beautify-a-man-s-home-exceeds-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36e/mark-lawrence-992_decadence_decadence-begins-when-the-budget-to-beau_3101074.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36e/mark-lawrence-992_decadence_decadence-begins-when-the-budget-to-beau_3101074.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36e/mark-lawrence-992_decadence_decadence-begins-when-the-budget-to-beau_3101074.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Decadence begins when the budget to beautify a man's home exceeds the coin spent to ensure its defense.” — Mark Lawrence",
                "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": "Mark Lawrence",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Decadence begins when the budget to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/decadence-begins-when-the-budget-to-beautify-a-man-s-home-exceeds-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/decadence-begins-when-the-budget-to-beautify-a-man-s-home-exceeds-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```