Mark TwainThe perfection of wisdom, and the end of true philosophy is to proportion our wants to our possessions, our ambitions to our capacities, we will then be a happy and a virtuous people.
About This Quote
The perfection of wisdom, and the end of true philosophy is to proportion our wants to our possessions, our ambitions to our capacities. We will then be a happy and a virtuous people. The wisdom of this quote comes from Confucius. Confucius believed that you should know how much you can achieve and not become greedy about it.
He believed that money and power were not the things that made a man happy. Confucius felt that if he could do something with just his hands then he would be content with that, as opposed to wanting more than his capabilities could give him. This belief also showed Confucius’s concern for the poor and the oppressed, as he believed that those who were poor or oppressed had more than enough reason to be unhappy.
He believed that once we have enough wealth and power we should use it for the good of others rather than use it for even greater wealth or power.
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More Quotes By Mark Twain
- After all these years, I see that I was mistaken about Eve in the beginning; it is better to live outside the Garden with her than inside it without her.
- When you fish for love, bait with your heart, not your brain.
- Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.
- The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.
- Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.