--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no device whatever to be…" description: "\"There is no device whatever to be invented for securing happiness without industry, economy, and virtue.\" — William Graham Sumner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad1/william-graham-sumner-5011_devices_there-is-no-device-whatever-to-be-invent_3047222.png" --- # There is no device whatever to be invented for securing… ![“There is no device whatever to be invented for securing happiness without industry, economy, and virtue.” quote by William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad1/william-graham-sumner-5011_devices_there-is-no-device-whatever-to-be-invent_3047222.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad1/william-graham-sumner-5011_devices_there-is-no-device-whatever-to-be-invent_3047222.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad1/william-graham-sumner-5011_devices_there-is-no-device-whatever-to-be-invent_3047222.png) > “There is no device whatever to be invented for securing happiness without industry, economy, and virtue.” [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Happiness cannot be achieved without the foundations of industry, a stable economy, and moral virtue. **In simple terms:** Happiness needs work, economy, and virtue. Key Takeaway Build productive, ethical societies. Themes economics ethics well‑being Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - community development - economic policy - character education Key Concepts social capital moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What role does personal virtue play in economic hardship? - How can societies foster both prosperity and moral growth? A Different Perspective Economic downturns can undermine happiness despite virtue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Device Invented](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/device-invented-5051538/) [Devices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devices/) [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Economy Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy-virtue-5051537/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-industry-3607452/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Securing Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/securing-happiness-5051534/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) ## Related quotes > [“Let them use at home economy where it is a virtue, but do not let them disgrace themselves abroad by narrowness…What a fool do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-withey/let-them-use-at-home-economy-where-it-is-a-virtue-but-do-not-let-them/) [Lynne Withey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-withey/) > [The American journalist Barbara Ehrenreich has written about this in her book Smile or Die: How Positive Thinking Fooled America and the World (2009)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ravenhill/the-american-journalist-barbara-ehrenreich-has-written-about-this-in/) [Mark Ravenhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ravenhill/) > [There may be no greater tribute to Steve Jobs' success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/there-may-be-no-greater-tribute-to-steve-jobs-success-than-the-fact/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Women are strange and incomprehensible, a device invented by Providence to keep the wit of man well sharpened by constant employment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/women-are-strange-and-incomprehensible-a-device-invented-by/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [The criminal law needs to be improved to meet new forms of crime, but to denounce financial devices which are useful and legitimate because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-criminal-law-needs-to-be-improved-to-meet-new-forms-of-crime-but/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [The documentary style is an incredibly flexible and useful one. It's a wonderful tool for establishing the credibility of the version of things that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gohlke/the-documentary-style-is-an-incredibly-flexible-and-useful-one-it-s-a/) [Frank Gohlke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gohlke/) > [I think we're probably only about halfway through the number of revelations. I'm pretty certain there will be quite detailed stuff on other uses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-a-watson/i-think-we-re-probably-only-about-halfway-through-the-number-of/) [Tom A. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-a-watson/) > [Truth is, people like buying things for $0.99 and $1.99 for their digital devices. We know that from iTunes. We know that from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lee/truth-is-people-like-buying-things-for-0-99-and-1-99-for-their/) [Jennifer Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lee/) > [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [In early drafts, one of the trickiest things for me to do was to realize that the techniques and devices that make readable and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-rooney/in-early-drafts-one-of-the-trickiest-things-for-me-to-do-was-to/) [Kathleen Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-rooney/) > [As we go through this transition where a lot more people will be reading on devices, nobody is paying enough attention to make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/as-we-go-through-this-transition-where-a-lot-more-people-will-be/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [I would warn against holsters with devices for quick-draw. Devices always fail when you need them most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/i-would-warn-against-holsters-with-devices-for-quick-draw-devices/) [William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/) > [If, as I anticipate, a wide array of personal, portable information/communication devices becomes increasingly important and widespread for information-intensive users, it will be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-as-i-anticipate-a-wide-array-of-personal-portable-information/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Televisions are devices with screens that things appear on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/televisions-are-devices-with-screens-that-things-appear-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [The market may never coalesce around one basic design, or even around two or three dominant devices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-market-may-never-coalesce-around-one-basic-design-or-even-around/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) ## More by William Graham Sumner > [The great force for forging a society into a solid mass has always been war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-great-force-for-forging-a-society-into-a-solid-mass-has-always/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [One thing must be granted to the rich: they are goodnatured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/one-thing-must-be-granted-to-the-rich-they-are-goodnatured/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [“Can anyone imagine that the masterfulness, the overbearing disposition, the greed of gain, and the ruthlessness in methods, which are the faults of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/can-anyone-imagine-that-the-masterfulness-the-overbearing-disposition/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [The waste of capital, in proportion to the total capital, in this country between 1800 and 1850, in the attempts which were made to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-waste-of-capital-in-proportion-to-the-total-capital-in-this/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [We shall find that every effort to realize equality necessitates a sacrifice of liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/we-shall-find-that-every-effort-to-realize-equality-necessitates-a/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [Who is the Forgotten Man? He is the clean, quiet, virtuous, domestic citizen, who pays his debts and his taxes and is never heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/who-is-the-forgotten-man-he-is-the-clean-quiet-virtuous-domestic/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [The men who start out with the notion that the world owes them a living generally find that the world pays its 'debt' in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-men-who-start-out-with-the-notion-that-the-world-owes-them-a/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [The taxing power is especially something after which the reformer's finger always itches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-taxing-power-is-especially-something-after-which-the-reformer-s/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [Great captains of industry are as rare as great generals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/great-captains-of-industry-are-as-rare-as-great-generals/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [Whatever capital you divert to the support of a shiftless and good-for-nothing person is so much diverted from some other employment, and that means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/whatever-capital-you-divert-to-the-support-of-a-shiftless-and-good/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [ The yearning after equality \[in economic outcome\] is the offspring of envy and covetousness, and there is no possible plan for satisfying that yearning… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-yearning-after-equality-in-economic-outcome-is-the-offspring-of/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [I never have known a man of ordinary common-sense who did not urge upon his sons, from earliest childhood, doctrines of economy and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/i-never-have-known-a-man-of-ordinary-common-sense-who-did-not-urge/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [Before the tribunal of nature, a man has no more right to life than a rattlesnake; he has no more right to liberty than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/before-the-tribunal-of-nature-a-man-has-no-more-right-to-life-than-a/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [The millionaires are a product of natural selection ... the naturally selected agents of society for certain work. They get high wages and live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-millionaires-are-a-product-of-natural-selection-the-naturally/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [Perhaps they do not recognize themselves, for a rich man is even harder to define than a poor one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/perhaps-they-do-not-recognize-themselves-for-a-rich-man-is-even/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) [Explore all 104 William Graham Sumner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) ## More Devices quotes > [The market may never coalesce around one basic design, or even around two or three dominant devices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-market-may-never-coalesce-around-one-basic-design-or-even-around/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Televisions are devices with screens that things appear on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/televisions-are-devices-with-screens-that-things-appear-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [If, as I anticipate, a wide array of personal, portable information/communication devices becomes increasingly important and widespread for information-intensive users, it will be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-as-i-anticipate-a-wide-array-of-personal-portable-information/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [I would warn against holsters with devices for quick-draw. Devices always fail when you need them most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/i-would-warn-against-holsters-with-devices-for-quick-draw-devices/) [William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/) > [As we go through this transition where a lot more people will be reading on devices, nobody is paying enough attention to make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/as-we-go-through-this-transition-where-a-lot-more-people-will-be/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [In early drafts, one of the trickiest things for me to do was to realize that the techniques and devices that make readable and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-rooney/in-early-drafts-one-of-the-trickiest-things-for-me-to-do-was-to/) [Kathleen Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-rooney/) > [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [Truth is, people like buying things for $0.99 and $1.99 for their digital devices. We know that from iTunes. We know that from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lee/truth-is-people-like-buying-things-for-0-99-and-1-99-for-their/) [Jennifer Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lee/) > [I think we're probably only about halfway through the number of revelations. I'm pretty certain there will be quite detailed stuff on other uses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-a-watson/i-think-we-re-probably-only-about-halfway-through-the-number-of/) [Tom A. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-a-watson/) > [The documentary style is an incredibly flexible and useful one. It's a wonderful tool for establishing the credibility of the version of things that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gohlke/the-documentary-style-is-an-incredibly-flexible-and-useful-one-it-s-a/) [Frank Gohlke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gohlke/) > [The sense of tragedy - according to Aristotle - comes, ironically enough, not from the protagonist's weak points but from his good qualities. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-sense-of-tragedy-according-to-aristotle-comes-ironically-enough/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [All the problems of the world could be settled easily if men were only willing to think. The trouble is that men very often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-j-watson/all-the-problems-of-the-world-could-be-settled-easily-if-men-were/) [Thomas J. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-j-watson/) > [Prayer is not a convenient device for imposing our will upon God, or bending his will to ours, but the prescribed way of subordinating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/prayer-is-not-a-convenient-device-for-imposing-our-will-upon-god-or/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [The Hope, Love & Healing necklace is the perfect embodiment of what we are trying to bring to Haiti through safe and sustainable housing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/the-hope-love-healing-necklace-is-the-perfect-embodiment-of-what-we/) [Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/) > [Reading is sometimes an ingenious device for avoiding thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-helps/reading-is-sometimes-an-ingenious-device-for-avoiding-thought/) [Arthur Helps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-helps/) [Browse all 1,075 Devices quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devices/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is no device whatever to be invented for securing happiness without industry, economy, and virtue.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Graham Sumner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/there-is-no-device-whatever-to-be-invented-for-securing-happiness/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Devices" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/there-is-no-device-whatever-to-be-invented-for-securing-happiness/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad1/william-graham-sumner-5011_devices_there-is-no-device-whatever-to-be-invent_3047222.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad1/william-graham-sumner-5011_devices_there-is-no-device-whatever-to-be-invent_3047222.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad1/william-graham-sumner-5011_devices_there-is-no-device-whatever-to-be-invent_3047222.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is no device whatever to be invented for securing happiness without industry, economy, and virtue.” — William Graham Sumner", "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": "William Graham Sumner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is no device whatever to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/there-is-no-device-whatever-to-be-invented-for-securing-happiness/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/there-is-no-device-whatever-to-be-invented-for-securing-happiness/#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 } } ] } ```