Circumstances Quote by Rebecca West
“All gambling is the telling of a fortune, but of a monstrously depleted fortune, empty of everything save one numerical circumstance, shorn of all such richness as a voyage across the water, a fair man that loves you, a dark woman that means you harm.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The New Yorker, 1935
Fortunes are often empty without love, adventure, and depth; material wealth alone is hollow.
In simple terms: Money without love and adventure feels empty.
Key Takeaway
Seek richer experiences beyond wealth.
Themes
wealth
love
adventure
emptiness
values
Mood
contemplative
critical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- career planning
- relationship building
- travel planning
- creative projects
Key Concepts
materialism
humanism
philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- What non‑material things give your life meaning?
- How can you balance financial goals with personal fulfillment?
A Different Perspective
Focusing on wealth can distract from meaningful relationships.
![“[Gambling] is a perfidious passion. ... It is bad for one to win, and bad not to win. ... it ends by setting your blood on fire, and to increase your chances of winning at any cost, your stakes increase frightfully; the desire of winning gets to be a madness. The soul gets sick; it neither sees…” quote by Matilde Serao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/91b/matilde-serao-56498_blood_gambling-is-a-perfidious-passion-it-is-b_1447022.jpg)
![“Like all bad drivers, he [Henry Andrews] thought he was the best driver in the world...” quote by Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/54b/rebecca-west-1248_andrew_like-all-bad-drivers-he-henry-andrews-th_152541.jpg)
![“[On Jane Austen:] To believe her limited in range because she was harmonious in method is as sensible as to imagine that when the Atlantic Ocean is as smooth as a mill-pond it shrinks to the size of a mill-pond.” quote by Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8d4/rebecca-west-1248_atlantic-ocean_on-jane-austen-to-believe-her-limited-in_215037.jpg)
