Those who understand only what can be explained understand very little.
Marie Von Ebner-EschenbachRead
To have and not to give is often worse than to steal.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Withholding what you have can be more harmful than taking it from others.
This quote suggests that the moral implications of possessing wealth or resources and choosing not to share them can be more detrimental than the act of theft. It highlights the importance of generosity and the ethical responsibilities that come with abundance, implying that hoarding what we have can erode our integrity and harm society more than outright taking from others.
Themes
GenerosityWealthSharingResponsibilityMorality
In practice
Example use cases
In a community service speech emphasizing the importance of sharing resources.
More from Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach
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Whoever prefers the material comforts of life over intellectual wealth is like the owner of a palace who moves into the servantsβ quarters and leaves the sumptuous rooms empty.
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Authors from whom others steal should not complain, but rejoice. Where there is no game there are no poachers.
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In meeting again after a separation, acquaintances ask after our outward life, friends after our inner life.
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Have patience with the quarrelsomeness of the stupid. It is not easy to comprehend that one does not comprehend.
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