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They deem me mad because I will not sell my days for gold; and I deem them mad because they think my days have a price.
Khalil Gibran
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote suggests the value of time is not measured in material wealth, and criticizes those who trade time for money.

Khalil Gibran reflects on the intrinsic value of life and time, asserting that sacrificing one's days for material gain is a sign of madness. He challenges the perception that time can be quantified in monetary terms, presenting a critique of a society that prioritizes wealth over the richness of experience and existence.

Themes

TimeValueWealthMadnessExperience

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about the importance of work-life balance, I would quote Gibran to emphasize valuing time over money.

More from Khalil Gibran

I prefer to be a dreamer among the humblest, with visions to be realized, than lord among those without dreams and desires.
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Be patient, for it is from doubt that knowledge is born.
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Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother.
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God made Truth with many doors to welcome every believer who knocks on them.
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Happiness is a vine that takes root and grows within the heart, never outside it.
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Solitude has soft, silky hands, but with strong fingers it grasps the heart and makes it ache with sorrow.
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