Posts Tagged ‘john muir’
John Muir: Degenerating Money Machine
on Thursday, September 3, 2015John Muir Money Quotation saying there must be more to how we fit into standard societal priorities than mechanistically earning. John Muir said:
“I am losing precious days. I am degenerating into a machine for making money. I am learning nothing in this trivial world of men” — John Muir
In this quote, naturalist John Muir expresses frustration with how preoccupied he has become with making money at the expense of more meaningful pursuits. He feels as though he is “degenerating” or deteriorating by prioritizing profits and financial gain above all else, to the point he has become like a “machine” single-mindedly focused on wealth accumulation.
Muir also laments that he is “losing precious days” and “learning nothing” while immersed in the “trivial world of men” dominated by economic concerns. His view seems to be that constant preoccupation with earning and worldly matters prevents deeper learning, living intentionally and appreciating life’s richness.
The quote conveys Muir’s belief that an overemphasis on monetary success can undermine personal growth, quality time and philosophical discovery if allowed to consume one’s drive and interests.
Birthday: April 21, 1838 – Death: December 24, 1914
John Muir: Edward Harriman – Money Tool
on Friday, February 6, 2015
“John Muir Money Quotation saying of railroad executive Edward Henry Harriman that wealth was to him like any other powerful tool to get work done. Edward Henry Harriman said:
“For money he never cared except as a tool like a locomotive or ship” — John Muir
John Muir seems to be suggesting that he viewed money instrumentally rather than as something with intrinsic value. Specifically, he implies that, like a tool or machine, money was useful to him primarily as a means to an end (“a tool like a locomotive or ship”) rather than as something desirable for its own sake.
By stating he “never cared” about money except in this functional way, Muir appears to be conveying that he was not motivated by financial gain and saw monetary resources only as a mechanism to support his real goals and pursuits in life. Overall, the quote indicates Muir had a pragmatic attitude towards money and wealth, valuing it only as a utility rather than as a measure of personal worth or success.
Birthday: April 21, 1838 – Death: December 24, 1914