“For why, my brothers and sisters, would you rejoice in silver? Either your silver will perish, or you will, and no one knows which will perish first. For neither can you remain here always, nor can silver remain here always; so also with gold, wardrobes, houses, money, real estate-and in the end, even the light by which we enjoy all these things. So do not be willing then to rejoice in such things as these. Rejoice instead in the light that has no setting; rejoice in the dawn which no yesterday precedes, and no tomorrow follows.” KnowsFirstsRealEndsLightHouseEnjoyWillingBrotherTomorrowGoldYesterdaySettingSettingsDawnMy BrotherSilverRejoiceConsumerismEstatesBrothers And SistersWardrobeOverconsumption Author:Saint Augustine
“The wise man knoweth where to stop, as he runneth in the race of fortune, For experience of old hath taught him, that happiness lingered midway; And many in hot pursuit have hasted to the goal of wealth, But have lost, as they ran, those apples of gold--the mind and the power to enjoy it.” MenMindLostEnjoyGoalWealthRaceWiseTaughtGoldHotFortunePursuitRanApplesMidway Book:Proverbial Philosophy: A Book of Thoughts and Arguments. 1st and 2d Series in One Volume Source: Proverbial Philosophy: A Book of Thoughts and Arguments. 1st and 2d Series in One Volume
“However dangerous might be the shock of a comet, it might be so slight, that it would only do damage at the part of the Earth where it actually struck; perhaps even we might cry quits if while one kingdom were devastated, the rest of the Earth were to enjoy the rarities which a body which came from so far might bring it. Perhaps we should be very surprised to find that the debris of these masses that we despised were formed of gold and diamonds; but who would be the most astonished, we, or the comet-dwellers, who would be cast on our Earth? What strange being each would find the other!” IfsShouldBodyMightWould BeEarthEnjoyDangerousCryStrangeMassGoldCastsQuittingKingdomsAliensDamageShockDiamondDespisedDevastatedCometsDebrisRarityDwellersGold And Diamonds Author:Pierre Louis Maupertuis