You cannot spend money in luxury without doing good to the poor. Nay, you do more good to them by spending it in luxury—you make them exert industry, whereas by giving it, you keep them idle.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Were the labor and capital, now spent on pernicious luxuries, to be employed in the intellectual, moral, and religious culture of the whole people, how immense would be the gain, in every respect, though for a short time material products were diminished. A better age will look back with wonder and scorn on the misdirected industry of the present times.
—William Ellery Channing (1780–1842) American Unitarian Theologian, Poet
Luxury, that alluring pest with fair forehead, which, yielding always to the will of the body, throws a deadening influence over the senses, and weakens the limbs more than the drugs of Circe’s cup.
—Claudian (c.370–c.404 CE) Roman Poet
Whenever vanity and gaiety, a love of pomp and dress, furniture, equipage, buildings, great company, expensive diversions, and elegant entertainments get the better of the principles and judgments of men and women, there is no knowing where they will stop, nor into what evils, natural, moral, or political, they will lead us.
—John Adams (1735–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
Morality is a private and costly luxury.
—Henry Adams (1838–1918) American Historian, Man of Letters
Sedition is bred in the lap of luxury and its chosen emissaries are the beggared spendthrift and the impoverished libertine.
—George Bancroft (1800–91) American Historian, Politician
Uncompromising thought is the luxury of the closeted recluse.
—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) American Head of State
A sentimentalist is simply one who desires to have the LUXURY of an emotion without paying for it.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
Fell luxury! more perilous to youth than storms or quicksands, poverty or chains.
—Hannah More
It was luxuries like air conditioning that brought down the Roman Empire. With air conditioning their windows were shut, they couldn’t hear the barbarians coming.
—Garrison Keillor (b.1942) American Author, Humorist, Radio Personality
Where necessity ends, curiosity begins; and no sooner are we supplied with everything that nature can demand, than we sit down to contrive artificial appetites.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
One must be poor to know the luxury of giving.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
The odious and disgusting aristocracy of wealth is built upon the ruins of all that is good in chivalry or republicanism; and luxury is the forerunner of a barbarism scarcely capable of cure.
—Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822) English Poet, Dramatist, Essayist, Novelist
The greatest luxury of riches is, that they enable you to escape so much good advice.
—Arthur Helps (1813–75) British Essayist, Historian
Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty.
—Socrates (469BCE–399BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
It is impossible to overdo luxury
—French Proverb
Poverty wants some things, Luxury many things, Avarice all things.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
It was a shrewd saying, whoever said it, “That the man who first brought ruin on the Roman people was he who pampered them by largesses and amusements.”
—Plutarch (c.46–c.120 CE) Greek Biographer, Philosopher
The more various our artificial necessities, the wider is our circle of pleasure; for all pleasure consists in obviating necessities as they rise; luxury, therefore, as it increases our wants, increases our capacity for happiness
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) Irish Novelist, Playwright, Poet
We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
Superfluity comes sooner by white hairs, but competency lives longer.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Luxury ruins republics; poverty, monarchies.
—Montesquieu (1689–1755) French Political Philosopher, Jurist
O luxury! Thou curst of heaven’s decree.
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) Irish Novelist, Playwright, Poet
Advertising is the genie which is transforming America into a place of comfort, luxury and ease for millions.
—William Allen White (1868–1944) American Editor, Politician, Author
The great majority of men, especially in France, both desire and possess a fashionable woman, much in the way one might own a fine horse—as a luxury befitting a young man.
—Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle) (1783–1842) French Writer
We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about.
—Charles Kingsley (1819–75) English Clergyman, Academic, Historian, Novelist
Luxury is a word of uncertain signification, and may be taken in a good as in a bad sense
—David Hume (1711–76) Scottish Philosopher, Historian
I know it is more agreeable to walk upon carpets than to lie upon dungeon floors, I know it is pleasant to have all the comforts and luxuries of civilization; but he who cares only for these things is worth no more than a butterfly, contented and thoughtless, upon a morning flower; and who ever thought of rearing a tombstone to a last summer’s butterfly?
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
Other passions have objects to flatter them, and which seem to content and satisfy them for a while.—There is power in ambition, pleasure in luxury, and pelf in covetousness; but envy can gain nothing but vexation.
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–92) French Essayist
Luxury, so far as it reaches the people, will do good to the race of people; it will strengthen and multiply them. Sir, no nation was ever hurt by luxury; for, as I said before; it can reach but a very few.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
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