--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are men who work hard, digging for…" description: "\"“There are men who work hard, digging for gold: he worked hard, digging for pity. The misery of the world was his mine. Pain everywhere was an occasion..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48e/victor-hugo-32_pain_there-are-men-who-work-hard-digging-for_1148015.jpg" --- # There are men who work hard, digging for gold: he worked… ![“There are men who work hard, digging for gold: he worked hard, digging for pity. The misery of the world was his mine. Pain everywhere was an occasion for goodness always.” quote by Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48e/victor-hugo-32_pain_there-are-men-who-work-hard-digging-for_1148015.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48e/victor-hugo-32_pain_there-are-men-who-work-hard-digging-for_1148015.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48e/victor-hugo-32_pain_there-are-men-who-work-hard-digging-for_1148015.jpg) > ““There are men who work hard, digging for gold: he worked hard, digging for pity. The misery of the world was his mine. Pain everywhere was an occasion for goodness always.”” [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He contrasts relentless labor for wealth with relentless suffering, suggesting that the world’s pain is his burden and that suffering can inspire constant kindness. **In simple terms:** Hard work for wealth vs. suffering for compassion. Key Takeaway Seek goodness despite suffering. Themes suffering compassion human condition Mood reflective somber Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - social work - personal growth - community service - mental health support Key Concepts existentialism moral responsibility Questions to Reflect On - Can pain be a catalyst for kindness? - How do we balance personal hardship with helping others? A Different Perspective Suffering alone does not guarantee goodness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Digging Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digging-gold-449651/) [Digging Pity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digging-pity-3230980/) [Gold Worked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold-worked-1129891/) [Misery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misery/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Pity Misery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pity-misery-3230981/) [Work hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-hard/) ## Related quotes > [Found a good voice and took advantage of it. Each of my specialties was like a prospector discovering a vein of gold. I worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-p-kinsella/found-a-good-voice-and-took-advantage-of-it-each-of-my-specialties/) [W. P. Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-p-kinsella/) > [Gold has worked down from Alexander's time... When something holds good for two thousand years I do not believe it can be so because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-baruch/gold-has-worked-down-from-alexander-s-time-when-something-holds-good/) [Bernard Baruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-baruch/) > [Gold has worked for thousands of years, but now with the Internet, it works even better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/gold-has-worked-for-thousands-of-years-but-now-with-the-internet-it/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [“In his dreams Jaime always had two hands; one was made of gold, but it worked just like the other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/in-his-dreams-jaime-always-had-two-hands-one-was-made-of-gold-but-it/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“It was like digging for gold in a garbage pile. And if that little analogy didn't tell her something, she didn't know what could.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacia-kane/it-was-like-digging-for-gold-in-a-garbage-pile-and-if-that-little/) [Stacia Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacia-kane/) > [Realize what you really want. It stops you from chasing butterflies and puts you to work digging gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-moulton-marston/realize-what-you-really-want-it-stops-you-from-chasing-butterflies/) [William Moulton Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-moulton-marston/) > [Tracking the shiny is so much easier than digging for gold!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-miller/tracking-the-shiny-is-so-much-easier-than-digging-for-gold/) [Laura Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-miller/) > [I wish I lived back in the Old West days, because I'd save up my money for about twenty years so I could buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-wish-i-lived-back-in-the-old-west-days-because-i-d-save-up-my-money/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [The California fever is not likely to take us off… There is neither romance nor glory in digging for gold after the manner of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutherford-b-hayes/the-california-fever-is-not-likely-to-take-us-off-there-is-neither/) [Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/) > [“Injustice had made her sulle, and misery had made her ugly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/injustice-had-made-her-sulle-and-misery-had-made-her-ugly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“This barricade is made neither of paving stones, nor of timbers, nor of iron; it is made of two mounds, a mound of ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/this-barricade-is-made-neither-of-paving-stones-nor-of-timbers-nor-of/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“I hereby propose the term “miserize”, as a verb for misery – referring to “to cause misery”.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/i-hereby-propose-the-term-miserize-as-a-verb-for-misery-referring-to/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“Where there is doubt (shanka), there is misery. The moment one begins to doubt the knowledge that, 'I am Chandubhai,' misery arises. Once one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-is-doubt-shanka-there-is-misery-the-moment-one-begins-to/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) ## More by Victor Hugo > [Houses are like the human beings that inhabit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/houses-are-like-the-human-beings-that-inhabit-them/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“There is still a certain grace in a dead festival. It has been happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/there-is-still-a-certain-grace-in-a-dead-festival-it-has-been-happy/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“First I loved women, then animals, and now I love stones. They're just as amusing as women and animals and they're much less trecherous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/first-i-loved-women-then-animals-and-now-i-love-stones-they-re-just/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Nature is pitiless; she never withdraws her flowers, her music, her fragrance, and her sunlight from before human cruelty or suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/nature-is-pitiless-she-never-withdraws-her-flowers-her-music-her/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Have courage for the great sorrows of life, and patience for the small ones. And when you have finished your daily task, go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/have-courage-for-the-great-sorrows-of-life-and-patience-for-the-small/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [The peasants of the Asturias believe that in every litter of wolves there is one pup that is killed by the mother for fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/the-peasants-of-the-asturias-believe-that-in-every-litter-of-wolves/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Great blunders are often made, like large ropes, of a multitude of fibres.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/great-blunders-are-often-made-like-large-ropes-of-a-multitude-of/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“For love is like a tree; it grows of itself; it send its roots deep into our being, and often continues to grow green…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/for-love-is-like-a-tree-it-grows-of-itself-it-send-its-roots-deep/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Blacheville smiles with the self-satisfied smugness of a man whose vanity is tickled”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/blacheville-smiles-with-the-self-satisfied-smugness-of-a-man-whose/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Loving in ignorance, she loved with all the more passion. She did not know whether it was good or evil, beneficent or dangerous, necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/loving-in-ignorance-she-loved-with-all-the-more-passion-she-did-not/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/laughter-is-the-sun-that-drives-winter-from-the-human-face/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Our joys have shadows. The perfect smile belongs to God alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/our-joys-have-shadows-the-perfect-smile-belongs-to-god-alone/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“When those we love are in question, our prudence invents every sort of madness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/when-those-we-love-are-in-question-our-prudence-invents-every-sort-of/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Love is a fault; so be it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/love-is-a-fault-so-be-it/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) [Explore all 2,181 Victor Hugo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) ## More Misery quotes > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“Where there is doubt (shanka), there is misery. The moment one begins to doubt the knowledge that, 'I am Chandubhai,' misery arises. Once one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-is-doubt-shanka-there-is-misery-the-moment-one-begins-to/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“I hereby propose the term “miserize”, as a verb for misery – referring to “to cause misery”.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/i-hereby-propose-the-term-miserize-as-a-verb-for-misery-referring-to/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [There's never any ebb in human misery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-nottage/there-s-never-any-ebb-in-human-misery/) [Lynn Nottage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-nottage/) > [Money can't buy happiness. But it sure makes misery easier to live with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/money-can-t-buy-happiness-but-it-sure-makes-misery-easier-to-live-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is thus only this personal feeling of misery that we get rid of by acts of pity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-is-thus-only-this-personal-feeling-of-misery-that-we-get-rid-of-by/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The vast majority of people are born, grow up, struggle and go through life in misery and failure, not realizing that it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-vast-majority-of-people-are-born-grow-up-struggle-and-go-through/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > ["Spirituality" wrongly understood or pursued is a major source of human misery and rebellion against God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/spirituality-wrongly-understood-or-pursued-is-a-major-source-of-human/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [Get away from me misery, get away from me loneliness, get away from me fake bitches I can't take the phoniness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/get-away-from-me-misery-get-away-from-me-loneliness-get-away-from-me/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [You see misery, you see misfortune, you see pain, you see suffering. It's all part of the fatalistic way of looking at life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/you-see-misery-you-see-misfortune-you-see-pain-you-see-suffering-it-s/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [Another step had her backed up against the wall, and he braced his arms on both sides of her. "I'm beginning to look forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-lindsey/another-step-had-her-backed-up-against-the-wall-and-he-braced-his/) [Johanna Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-lindsey/) > [“Misery only added to the cumulative experience of the adventure that would ultimately sculpt me into a stronger, more resilient human being.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-rohrig/misery-only-added-to-the-cumulative-experience-of-the-adventure-that/) [Kyle Rohrig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-rohrig/) > [If you try to control everything, and then worry about the things you can't control, you are setting yourself up for a lifetime of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/if-you-try-to-control-everything-and-then-worry-about-the-things-you/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [“All our misery comes from wanting at all costs to go on being Tom, Dick, or Harry, year in, year out. This body of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-ferdinand-celine/all-our-misery-comes-from-wanting-at-all-costs-to-go-on-being-tom/) [Louis-Ferdinand Celine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-ferdinand-celine/) [Browse all 2,835 Misery quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misery/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There are men who work hard, digging for gold: he worked hard, digging for pity. The misery of the world was his mine. 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