--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The longer it possesseth a man the more…" description: "\"The longer it possesseth a man the more he will delight in it, and the older he groweth the more he shall be subject to it; for it dulleth the spirits,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/walter-raleigh-4068_body_the-longer-it-possesseth-a-man-the-more_2414938.png" --- # The longer it possesseth a man the more he will delight in… ![“The longer it possesseth a man the more he will delight in it, and the older he groweth the more he shall be subject to it; for it dulleth the spirits, and destroyeth the body as ivy doth the old tree, or as the worm that engendereth in the kernal of the nut.” quote by Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/walter-raleigh-4068_body_the-longer-it-possesseth-a-man-the-more_2414938.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/walter-raleigh-4068_body_the-longer-it-possesseth-a-man-the-more_2414938.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/walter-raleigh-4068_body_the-longer-it-possesseth-a-man-the-more_2414938.png) > “The longer it possesseth a man the more he will delight in it, and the older he groweth the more he shall be subject to it; for it dulleth the spirits, and destroyeth the body as ivy doth the old tree, or as the worm that engendereth in the kernal of the nut.” [Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The longer one possesses something, the more it enslaves and harms both spirit and body. **In simple terms:** Ownership can become a burden. Key Takeaway Limit attachment to stay healthy. Themes materialism spirituality health Mood thoughtful somber Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - consumerism - wealth accumulation - addiction - aging Key Concepts attachment theory mortality Questions to Reflect On - What possessions dominate your life? - How can you practice mindful detachment? A Different Perspective Total possession may lead to decay and loss of freedom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Delight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delight/) [Delight Older](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delight-older-6092524/) [Destroyeth Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroyeth-body-6092523/) [Drunkenness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drunkenness/) [Ivy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ivy/) [Longer Possesseth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longer-possesseth-6092522/) [Man Delight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-delight-3530170/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuts/) [Old trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-trees/) [Older Groweth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/older-groweth-6092521/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Subjects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subjects/) [Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree/) [Worms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worms/) ## Related quotes > [Not for any one man's delight has Nature made the sun, the wind, the waters; all are free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/not-for-any-one-man-s-delight-has-nature-made-the-sun-the-wind-the/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [All great art is the expression of man's delight in God's work, not his own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/all-great-art-is-the-expression-of-man-s-delight-in-god-s-work-not/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [The vine that has grown old on an old tree falls with the ruin of that tree, and through that bad companionship must perish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-vine-that-has-grown-old-on-an-old-tree-falls-with-the-ruin-of/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [I like old people, just as I like old trees: in their shadow there is freshness and peace, one admires them, and around them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alliluyeva/i-like-old-people-just-as-i-like-old-trees-in-their-shadow-there-is/) [Svetlana Alliluyeva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alliluyeva/) > [I love looking at you, hundred-year-old tree, loaded with shoots and boughs as though you were a stripling. 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