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Wealth should come like manna from heaven, unearned and uncalled for. Money should be like grace -- a gift. It is not worth sweating and scheming for.
Edward Abbey
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Wealth should be perceived as a natural gift rather than something to be tirelessly pursued.

In this quote, Edward Abbey reflects on the nature of wealth, suggesting that it should arrive unexpectedly and without effort, akin to divine grace. He critiques the societal obsession with acquiring money through excessive toil and scheming, proposing instead that true wealth is something freely given and appreciated rather than something that defines one's worth or happiness.

Themes

WealthGraceGiftEffortMoney

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about financial freedom, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of appreciating what one has rather than obsessing over wealth.

More from Edward Abbey

Married couples who quarrel bitterly every day may really need each other as deeply as those who appear to be desperately in love.
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I love America because it is a confused, chaotic mess - and I hope we can keep it this way for at least another thousand years. The permissive society is the free society.
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If it's knowledge and wisdom you want, then seek out the company of those who do real work for an honest purpose.
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The earth is real. Only a fool, milking his cow, denies the cow's reality.
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I believe in nothing that I cannot touch, kiss, embrace.... The rest is only hearsay.
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Why can't we simply borrow what is useful to us from Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, especially Zen, as we borrow from Christianity, science, American Indian traditions and world literature in general, including philosophy, and let the rest go hang? Borrow what we need but rely principally upon our own senses, common sense and daily living experience.
Edward AbbeyRead

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