To Be Content With Little Is Hard; To Be Content With Much, Impossible – Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach

Copy link
1 min read
To be content with little is hard; to be content with much, impossible. — Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach
To be content with little is hard; to be content with much, impossible. — Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach

To be content with little is hard; to be content with much, impossible. — Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach

What lingers after this line?

Human Nature and Desire

The quote highlights the insatiable nature of human desire, suggesting that no matter how much one has, true contentment remains elusive.

Contentment Versus Greed

It contrasts the challenge of being satisfied with little against the impossibility of satisfaction when one possesses much, hinting at the concept of greed.

Psychological Perspective

From a psychological viewpoint, this reflects how increasing material possessions often leads to increased expectation rather than happiness.

Value of Simplicity

It subtly argues for the virtue of minimalism and the importance of appreciating simple things in life.

Philosophical Paradox

The statement uses paradox to provoke thought about the pursuit of happiness and fulfillment in both scarcity and abundance.

Recommended Reading

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

One-minute reflection

What's one small action this suggests?

Related Quotes

6 selected

It's a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack. — Germany Kent

Germany Kent

Germany Kent’s quote begins with a simple but powerful observation: life changes when attention changes. Once a person starts noticing what is present, supportive, and meaningful, the mind gradually stops circling around...

Read full interpretation →

Love the humble art you have learned and take rest in it. — Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius turns attention away from grand ambition and toward the quiet dignity of what one already knows how to do. In this brief line, he suggests that peace comes not from chasing endless recognition, but from l...

Read full interpretation →

It is a nice feeling to just be. — Jiddu Krishnamurti

Jiddu Krishnamurti

At first glance, Krishnamurti’s remark seems almost disarmingly simple, yet its force lies in what it refuses: striving, proving, and becoming. To say that it is ‘a nice feeling to just be’ is to honor existence before a...

Read full interpretation →

The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less. — Socrates

Socrates

At its heart, this saying turns ordinary ambition upside down. Rather than locating happiness in constant acquisition, it suggests that peace comes from training the mind to take genuine pleasure in what is already prese...

Read full interpretation →

It is in no man's power to have whatever he wants, but he has it in his power not to wish for what he hasn't got, and cheerfully make the most of the things that do come his way. — Epictetus

Epictetus

Epictetus begins with a sober truth: no one can command reality to supply every desire. Fortune, health, status, and even the actions of other people remain only partly within our reach.

Read full interpretation →

Happiness is what's there when you remove the sense that something is missing in your life. — Naval Ravikant

Naval Ravikant

Naval Ravikant frames happiness as what remains once a particular mental noise is turned off: the persistent feeling that life is incomplete. In this view, happiness isn’t primarily a prize earned by stacking achievement...

Read full interpretation →

More From Author

More from Eschenbach →

Explore Related Topics