--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In a dung heap, even a plastic bead can…" description: "\"In a dung heap, even a plastic bead can gleam like a sapphire.\" — Stephen Fry" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6be/stephen-fry-573_beads_in-a-dung-heap-even-a-plastic-bead-can-g_869629.png" --- # In a dung heap, even a plastic bead can gleam like a… ![“In a dung heap, even a plastic bead can gleam like a sapphire.” quote by Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6be/stephen-fry-573_beads_in-a-dung-heap-even-a-plastic-bead-can-g_869629.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6be/stephen-fry-573_beads_in-a-dung-heap-even-a-plastic-bead-can-g_869629.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6be/stephen-fry-573_beads_in-a-dung-heap-even-a-plastic-bead-can-g_869629.png) > “In a dung heap, even a plastic bead can gleam like a sapphire.” [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even in the lowest places, small beauty can appear, offering hope and perspective. **In simple terms:** Beauty can appear anywhere. Key Takeaway Notice small wonders. Themes hope beauty perspective Mood optimistic contemplative Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily life - adverse conditions - creative work Key Concepts aesthetics philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What small beauty have you seen today? - How does this change your outlook? A Different Perspective Focusing on tiny beauty may overlook larger problems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bead Gleam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bead-gleam-937973/) [Beads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beads/) [Dung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dung/) [Dung Heap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dung-heap-280243/) [Gleam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gleam/) [Like Sapphire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-sapphire-937971/) [Plastic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plastic/) [Plastic Bead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plastic-bead-937976/) [Sapphires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sapphires/) ## Related quotes > [You can't expect a man in a dung heap to smell sweet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aravind-adiga/you-can-t-expect-a-man-in-a-dung-heap-to-smell-sweet/) [Aravind Adiga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aravind-adiga/) > [It is my opinion that a man's soul may be buried and perish under a dung-heap, or in a furrow field, just as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/it-is-my-opinion-that-a-man-s-soul-may-be-buried-and-perish-under-a/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [Francis: Judging by your breath, you must have been buzzing around a dung heap all day!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-bugs-life/francis-judging-by-your-breath-you-must-have-been-buzzing-around-a/) [A Bugs Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-bugs-life/) > [“He fawns over ye like flies to a dung pile.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-ann-edwards/he-fawns-over-ye-like-flies-to-a-dung-pile/) [Leigh Ann Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-ann-edwards/) > [“Think of yourselves as dung beetles. Yes! Dung beetles lug their balls of dung around… We all have our own ball of dung to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-chabbert/think-of-yourselves-as-dung-beetles-yes-dung-beetles-lug-their-balls/) [Ingrid Chabbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-chabbert/) > [“Cole - "For the fifth labour what better treat than to sling giant chunks of dung”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brodi-ashton/cole-for-the-fifth-labour-what-better-treat-than-to-sling-giant/) [Brodi Ashton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brodi-ashton/) > [“A horse was hag-ridden. Its owners filled a bottle with its urine, stopped it with a cork, and buried it: the witch could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gl-ck/a-horse-was-hag-ridden-its-owners-filled-a-bottle-with-its-urine/) [Robert Glück](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gl-ck/) > [Corpses are more fit to be thrown out than is dung.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heraclitus/corpses-are-more-fit-to-be-thrown-out-than-is-dung/) [Heraclitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heraclitus/) > [“Dung is more valuable than any precious metal. You cannot grow food in gold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/dung-is-more-valuable-than-any-precious-metal-you-cannot-grow-food-in/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) > [May the devil himself splatter you with dung.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/may-the-devil-himself-splatter-you-with-dung/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [One had better not rush, otherwise dung comes out rather than creative work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/one-had-better-not-rush-otherwise-dung-comes-out-rather-than-creative/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“Foul, misbegotten mound of walking donkey dung!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-a-lind/foul-misbegotten-mound-of-walking-donkey-dung/) [Werner A. Lind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-a-lind/) > [“One speck of dung will spoil the pot. In order to keep my thoughts on a high level, I put a positive construction on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-rowland/one-speck-of-dung-will-spoil-the-pot-in-order-to-keep-my-thoughts-on/) [Kathleen Rowland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-rowland/) > [All sorts of dung and compost contain some matter which, when mixed with the soil, ferments therein; and by such ferment dissolves, crumbles, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jethro-tull/all-sorts-of-dung-and-compost-contain-some-matter-which-when-mixed/) [Jethro Tull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jethro-tull/) > [“And don’t forget the fox dung.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-hunter/and-don-t-forget-the-fox-dung/) [Erin Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-hunter/) ## More by Stephen Fry > [“...Catholic versus Protestant, essentially. It's that kind of fight. ... And it goes on to this day. Will we never learn? Who knows? Religion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/catholic-versus-protestant-essentially-it-s-that-kind-of-fight-and-it/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [How dare you? How dare you create a world in which there is such misery that is not our fault? It's not right, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/how-dare-you-how-dare-you-create-a-world-in-which-there-is-such/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“Look at the kind of people who most object to the childishness and cheapness of celebrity culture. Does one really want to side with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/look-at-the-kind-of-people-who-most-object-to-the-childishness-and/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“The object of love should feel honoured or flattered, responsible in some way. Instead he felt insulted, degraded and revolted. More than that, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/the-object-of-love-should-feel-honoured-or-flattered-responsible-in/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [The only people who are obsessed with food are anorexics and the morbidly obese. 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Apart from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-ve-never-had-any-illusions-about-being-a-lead-actor-in-films/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [Because, let's face it, I do not get offered the parts that Brad Pitt has just turned down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/because-let-s-face-it-i-do-not-get-offered-the-parts-that-brad-pitt/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [I will defend the absolute value of Mozart over Miley Cyrus, of course I will, but we should be wary of false dichotomies. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-will-defend-the-absolute-value-of-mozart-over-miley-cyrus-of-course/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [You can't just say there is a god because the world is beautiful. You have to account for bone cancer in children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/you-can-t-just-say-there-is-a-god-because-the-world-is-beautiful-you/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [If you know someone who's depressed, please resolve never to ask them why. Depression isn't a straightforward response to a bad situation; depression just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/if-you-know-someone-who-s-depressed-please-resolve-never-to-ask-them/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [It's as if scientists exert every effort of will they possess deliberately to find the least significant problems in the world and explain them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/it-s-as-if-scientists-exert-every-effort-of-will-they-possess/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) [Explore all 466 Stephen Fry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) ## More Beads quotes > [The translucence that comes when life hardens into a bead of such cruel perfection you see it with the purest clarity. Everything suddenly there--life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/the-translucence-that-comes-when-life-hardens-into-a-bead-of-such/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [slowly the pale dew-beads of light lapped up from flowers can thicken, darken to gold: honey of the human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-levertov/slowly-the-pale-dew-beads-of-light-lapped-up-from-flowers-can-thicken/) [Denise Levertov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-levertov/) > [You think you know yourself, the world. You believe you've got a bead on everybody else's bullshit, but what about your own?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-lipsyte/you-think-you-know-yourself-the-world-you-believe-you-ve-got-a-bead/) [Sam Lipsyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-lipsyte/) > [I think all writers are always collecting characters as we go along. Not just characters of course, we're collecting EVERYTHING. Bits and pieces of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-sokoloff/i-think-all-writers-are-always-collecting-characters-as-we-go-along/) [Alexandra Sokoloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-sokoloff/) > [Deciding to chant the mantra a certain number of times daily will help foster the japa habit. We should always keep a rosary with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/deciding-to-chant-the-mantra-a-certain-number-of-times-daily-will/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) > [Then, when people saw you strolling around at high noon holding your rosary beads, they’d think, ‘Well, that can’t be a vampire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/then-when-people-saw-you-strolling-around-at-high-noon-holding-your/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [We must always remember that God is Love. "A fool indeed is he who, living on the banks of the Ganga, seeks to dig…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/we-must-always-remember-that-god-is-love-a-fool-indeed-is-he-who/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Every time some new huckster of angst-ridden metaphor is appointed by Art Forum, the congregation genuflects, stroking the catalog like a handful of Rosary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abe-ajay/every-time-some-new-huckster-of-angst-ridden-metaphor-is-appointed-by/) [Abe Ajay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abe-ajay/) > [You know, if I cleaned out my backpack, which I don't really use anymore, I'd find a bunch of beads. I have a bunch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-connaughton/you-know-if-i-cleaned-out-my-backpack-which-i-don-t-really-use/) [Pat Connaughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-connaughton/) > [SHE is neither pink nor pale, And she never will be all mine; She learned her hands in a fairy-tale, And her mouth on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-st-vincent-millay/she-is-neither-pink-nor-pale-and-she-never-will-be-all-mine-she/) [Edna St. Vincent Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-st-vincent-millay/) > [Reading a text is more like tracing this process of constant flickering than it is like counting the beads on a necklace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/reading-a-text-is-more-like-tracing-this-process-of-constant/) [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) > [Loyalty to God is alone fundamental. Feelings, words, deeds, must be beads strung on the string of duty. Let the world tell you in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maltbie-davenport-babcock/loyalty-to-god-is-alone-fundamental-feelings-words-deeds-must-be/) [Maltbie Davenport Babcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maltbie-davenport-babcock/) > [closed my eyes and listened. It was like music I'd heard all my life, even more than "This Lullaby." All those keystrokes, all those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/closed-my-eyes-and-listened-it-was-like-music-i-d-heard-all-my-life/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [A very special case. 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