--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some men are called sagacious, merely on…" description: "\"Some men are called sagacious, merely on account of their avarice; whereas a child can clench its fist the moment it is born.\" — William Shenstone" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bca/william-shenstone-4083_accounts_some-men-are-called-sagacious-merely-on_376413.jpg" --- # Some men are called sagacious, merely on account of their… ![“Some men are called sagacious, merely on account of their avarice; whereas a child can clench its fist the moment it is born.” quote by William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bca/william-shenstone-4083_accounts_some-men-are-called-sagacious-merely-on_376413.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bca/william-shenstone-4083_accounts_some-men-are-called-sagacious-merely-on_376413.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bca/william-shenstone-4083_accounts_some-men-are-called-sagacious-merely-on_376413.jpg) > “Some men are called sagacious, merely on account of their avarice; whereas a child can clench its fist the moment it is born.” [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Avarice can falsely grant wisdom, while a child's innate honesty is pure and immediate. **In simple terms:** Greed pretends wisdom; children are naturally honest. Key Takeaway Beware of wealth's false wisdom. Themes morality human nature greed innocence wisdom Mood critical reflective Type ethical psychological When to use this quote - financial decisions - parenting - education - leadership - self‑reflection Key Concepts ethical critique psychology nature vs nurture Questions to Reflect On - How does greed affect perceived intelligence? - What can we learn from childlike honesty? A Different Perspective Wealth does not guarantee insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accounts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accounts/) [Avarice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avarice/) [Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Called Sagacious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-sagacious-3422209/) [Child Clench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child-clench-3422211/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Clench Fist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clench-fist-592293/) [Fists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fists/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Sagacious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sagacious-162533/) [Sagacious Merely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sagacious-merely-3422210/) ## Related quotes > [When we believe we are losing control, we grab on tight. When our greatest fear comes upon us, we clench our fist and teeth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/when-we-believe-we-are-losing-control-we-grab-on-tight-when-our/) [Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/) > [When you clench your fist, no one can put anything in your hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-haley/when-you-clench-your-fist-no-one-can-put-anything-in-your-hand/) [Alex Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-haley/) > [“Isobel's head popped up. "What does 'sagacious' mean?" "Sagacious," he said, writing, "adjective describing someone in possession of acute mental faculties. Also describing one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-creagh/isobel-s-head-popped-up-what-does-sagacious-mean-sagacious-he-said/) [Kelly Creagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-creagh/) > [“Most unintelligent or foolish people do not regard themselves as that; they regard themselves as not-that-intelligent or not-that-wise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/most-unintelligent-or-foolish-people-do-not-regard-themselves-as-that/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“Errare humanum est, sed in errore perseverare diabolicum.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/errare-humanum-est-sed-in-errore-perseverare-diabolicum/) [Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) > [People can commend the weather without envy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/people-can-commend-the-weather-without-envy/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [Avarice is the most oppose of all characters to that of God Almighty, whose alone it is to give and not receive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/avarice-is-the-most-oppose-of-all-characters-to-that-of-god-almighty/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > ['Maneater' is about N.Y.C. in the '80s. It's about greed, avarice, and spoiled riches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/maneater-is-about-n-y-c-in-the-80s-it-s-about-greed-avarice-and/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [Five enemies of peace inhabit with us - avarice, ambition, envy, anger, and pride; if these were to be banished, we should infallibly enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petrarch/five-enemies-of-peace-inhabit-with-us-avarice-ambition-envy-anger-and/) [Petrarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petrarch/) > [Where poverty ceases, avarice begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/where-poverty-ceases-avarice-begins/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [The corruption of the age is made up by the particular contribution of every individual man; some contribute treachery, others injustice, atheism, tyranny, avarice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/the-corruption-of-the-age-is-made-up-by-the-particular-contribution/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Where today are the Pequot? Where are the Narragansett, the Mohican, the Pcanet, and other powerful tribes of our people? They have vanished before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tecumseh/where-today-are-the-pequot-where-are-the-narragansett-the-mohican-the/) [Tecumseh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tecumseh/) > [The man who worships mere wealth is a snob.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/the-man-who-worships-mere-wealth-is-a-snob/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [avarice breeds envy, a worm that is always gnawing, letting the avaricious enjoy neither their own nor anyone else's good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/avarice-breeds-envy-a-worm-that-is-always-gnawing-letting-the/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [In our own time the whole of Greece has been subject to a low birth rate and a general decrease of the population, owing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/polybius/in-our-own-time-the-whole-of-greece-has-been-subject-to-a-low-birth/) [Polybius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/polybius/) ## More by William Shenstone > [When self-interest inclines a man to print, he should consider that the purchaser expects a pennyworth for his penny, and has reason to asperse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/when-self-interest-inclines-a-man-to-print-he-should-consider-that/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [Fashion is a great restraint upon your persons of taste and fancy; who would otherwise in the most trifling instances be able to distinguish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/fashion-is-a-great-restraint-upon-your-persons-of-taste-and-fancy-who/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [Whoe'er has travell'd life's dull round, Where'er his stages may have been, May sigh to think he still has found The warmest welcome at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/whoe-er-has-travell-d-life-s-dull-round-where-er-his-stages-may-have/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [My banks they are furnish'd with bees, Whose murmur invites one to sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/my-banks-they-are-furnish-d-with-bees-whose-murmur-invites-one-to/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [His knowledge of books had in some degree diminished his knowledge of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/his-knowledge-of-books-had-in-some-degree-diminished-his-knowledge-of/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [Patience is the panacea; but where does it grow, or who can swallow it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/patience-is-the-panacea-but-where-does-it-grow-or-who-can-swallow-it/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [A large retinue upon a small income, like a large cascade upon a small stream, tends to discover its tenuity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/a-large-retinue-upon-a-small-income-like-a-large-cascade-upon-a-small/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [Independence may be found in comparative as well as in absolute abundance; I mean where a person contracts his desires within the limits of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/independence-may-be-found-in-comparative-as-well-as-in-absolute/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [Taste is pursued at a less expense than fashion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/taste-is-pursued-at-a-less-expense-than-fashion/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [Long sentences in a short composition are like large rooms in a little house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/long-sentences-in-a-short-composition-are-like-large-rooms-in-a/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [Anger is a great force. If you control it, it can be transmuted into a power which can move the whole world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/anger-is-a-great-force-if-you-control-it-it-can-be-transmuted-into-a/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [Persons who discover a flatterer, do not always disapprove him, because he imagines them considerable enough to deserve his applications.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/persons-who-discover-a-flatterer-do-not-always-disapprove-him-because/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [A man has generally the good or ill qualities which he attributes to mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/a-man-has-generally-the-good-or-ill-qualities-which-he-attributes-to/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [A fool and his words are soon parted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/a-fool-and-his-words-are-soon-parted/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [It should seem that indolence itself would incline a person to be honest, as it requires infinitely greater pains and contrivance to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/it-should-seem-that-indolence-itself-would-incline-a-person-to-be/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) [Explore all 116 William Shenstone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) ## More Accounts quotes > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [The Hindus have a peculiar slovenliness in business matters, not being sufficiently methodical and strict in keeping accounts etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-hindus-have-a-peculiar-slovenliness-in-business-matters-not-being/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [With the Truman book, I wrote the entire account of his experiences in World War I before going over to Europe to follow his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/with-the-truman-book-i-wrote-the-entire-account-of-his-experiences-in/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. 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