Possession, it is true, crowns exertion with rest; but it is only in the illusions of fancy that it has power to charm us.
Wilhelm Von HumboldtRead
Only what we have wrought into our character during life can we take with us.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Our character and actions define what we carry forward in life beyond material possessions.
This quote emphasizes the importance of our character and moral integrity over material wealth. It suggests that the essence of who we are and the values we cultivate during our lifetime are the true treasures that accompany us in our journey beyond this world. Ultimately, it is the virtues and experiences that shape our character that will endure, rather than any physical belongings we accumulate.
Themes
CharacterLifeValuesIntegrityMorality
In practice
Example use cases
During a graduation speech to emphasize the importance of personal growth over grades.
More from Wilhelm Von Humboldt
All quotes βWherever the citizen becomes indifferent to his fellows, so will the husband be to his wife, and the father of a family toward the members of his household.
Wilhelm Von HumboldtRead
Joy mingled with sadness, even with grief, is the deepest human joy. It winds itself about the soul with indescribable sweetness, with a dim but unerring sense for what will some day be born of it.
Wilhelm Von HumboldtRead
All situations in which the interrelationships between extremes are involved are the most interesting and instructive.
Wilhelm Von HumboldtRead
It is an absolutely vain endeavor to attempt to reconstruct or even comprehend the nature of a human being by simply knowing the forces which have acted upon him. However deeply we should like to penetrate, however close we seem to be drawing to truth, one unknown quantity eludes us: man's primordial energy, his original self, that personality which was given him with the gift of life itself. On it rests man's true freedom; it alone determines his real character.
Wilhelm Von HumboldtRead
The government is best which makes itself unnecessary.
Wilhelm Von HumboldtRead
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