Marquis De Sade: Boots Not Books
on Wednesday, June 2, 2021Marquis De Sade Money Quote saying avoid making a living by writing or expect poverty and the writing will be watered down – choose other work. Marquis De Sade said:
“And above all, you should not think of writing as a way of earning your living. If you do, your work will smell of your poverty. It will be colored by your weakness and be as thin as your hunger. There are other trades which you can take up: make boots, not books” — Marquis De Sade
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In this quote, controversial philosopher Marquis De Sade is advising against pursuing writing as a career solely out of financial necessity. He suggests that if one’s primary motivation is earning money through writing, then the quality and integrity of the work will suffer as a result.
De Sade implies the writing will reflect the “poverty” and “weakness” of the author if done mainly for profit, rather than passion.
Overall, the quote encourages aspiring writers to avoid seeing it as just another “trade” like bootmaking, and to instead write freely without the constraint of having to please audiences or patrons for income. De Sade advocates writing as a calling rather than simply as a way to make a living.
Birthday: June 2, 1740 – Death: December 2, 1814