We were happy, and wished to make all happy around us. False pleasures make men haughty and severe, and such pleasures are always selfish. But true happiness inspires gentleness and benevolence, and diffuses its influence on very hand.
[Nous étions heureux, & nous voulions vivre avec des gens qui le fussent. Le bonheur faux rend les hommes durs & superbes, & ce bonheur ne se communique point. Le vrai bonheur les rend doux et sensibles, & ce bonheur se partage toujours.]
Charles-Lewis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu (1689–1755) French political philosopher
“Arsaces and Ismenia [Arsace et Isménie]” (1742) [tr. 1797]
(Source)
Commonly quoted in isolation, with just the second two sentences; often misattributed to his Pensées.
(Source (French)). Other translations:We were happy ourselves; and were desirous of living with people that were so. False happiness renders men austere and haughty; and this happiness is selfish and unsociable. True felicity, on the contrary, softens them into sensibility and gentleness: it delights in reciprocal communication.
[tr. 1784]We were happy, and we wished to live with people who were happy too. False happiness renders men rigid and haughty; and this happiness has nothing social. True happiness makes them mild, and endues them with sensibility; and this happiness is always shared.
[tr. 1785][...] False happiness renders men stern and proud, and that happiness is never communicated. True happiness renders them kind and sensible, and that happiness is always shared.
[tr. 1854]
Quotations about:
share the wealth
Note not all quotations have been tagged, so Search may find additional quotes on this topic.
And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. […] Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
[Τοῦ δὲ πλήθους τῶν πιστευσάντων ἦν καρδία καὶ ψυχὴ μία, καὶ οὐδὲ εἷς τι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῷ ἔλεγεν ἴδιον εἶναι ἀλλ᾽ ἦν αὐτοῖς ἅπαντα κοινά. […] οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐνδεής τις ἦν ἐν αὐτοῖς· ὅσοι γὰρ κτήτορες χωρίων ἢ οἰκιῶν ὑπῆρχον, πωλοῦντες ἔφερον τὰς τιμὰς τῶν πιπρασκομένων καὶ ἐτίθουν παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων, διεδίδετο δὲ ἑκάστῳ καθότι ἄν τις χρείαν εἶχεν.]
The Bible (The New Testament) (AD 1st - 2nd C) Christian sacred scripture
Book 5. Acts of the Apostles 4:32ff (Acts 4:32-35) [KJV (1611)]
(Source)
(Source (Greek)). Alternate translations:The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common. [...] None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from them, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any members who might be in need.
[JB (1966)]The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, as everything they owned was held in common. [...] None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from the sale of them, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any who might be in need.
[NJB (1985)]The group of believers was one in mind and heart. None of them said that any of their belongings were their own, but they all shared with one another everything they had. [...] There was no one in the group who was in need. Those who owned fields or houses would sell them, bring the money received from the sale, and turn it over to the apostles; and the money was distributed according to the needs of the people.
[GNT (1992 ed.)]The community of believers was one in heart and mind. None of them would say, “This is mine!” about any of their possessions, but held everything in common. [...] There were no needy persons among them. Those who owned properties or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds from the sales, and place them in the care and under the authority of the apostles. Then it was distributed to anyone who was in need.
[CEB (2011)]Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. [...] There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
[NRSV (2021 ed.)]
He who withholds but a pennyworth of worldly goods from his neighbor, knowing him to be in need of it, is a robber in the sight of God.
Meister Eckhart (c. 1260–1328?) German theologian, philosopher, mystic [a.k.a. Johannes Eckhart von Hochheim; Eckhart; Eckehart]
Meister Eckhart, Tractate 6, “Sister Katrei” [ed. Pfeiffer (1857), tr. Evans]
(Source)
I hold it to be our duty to see that the wage worker, the small producer, the ordinary consumer, shall get their fair share of the benefit of business prosperity. But it either is or ought to be evident to everyone that business has to prosper before anybody can get any benefit from it.
Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American politician, statesman, conservationist, writer; US President (1901–09)
Speech, Ohio Constitutional Convention (1 Feb 1912)
Money is like muck, not good except it be spread.
Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English philosopher, scientist, author, statesman
“Of Seditions and Troubles,” Essays, No. 15 (1625)
(Source)
