Quote of the Day: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe on How People Waste Both Money and Time

German author Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was considered one of the greatest literary figures of his time. His popularity was massive across German-speaking countries in the 18th and 19th centuries, and it wasn’t uncommon for composers to draw on his work in their music, according to Britannica.

Born Aug. 28, 1749, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Wolfgang von Goethe grew up to become a well-known poet, novelist, playwright, theatre director, artist, scientist, and statesman. He was credited with being influential on the Romantic movement.

His early years sound easy, as a wealthy child who grew up in a largely middle-class city. Wolfgang von Goethe had generational wealth, which enabled him to pursue his studies, including law. Eventually, he started pursuing writing as a hobby, but Britannica notes that he mostly felt self-conscious about his writing and would destroy his work after sharing it with his friends.

He finally grew more confident over the years and tried his hand at writing erotic poems before falling in love with playwriting. He split his time between his creative work and his legal work after he started practising law. It seems as though he was quick to fall in love, and many of his works were inspired by those he fell for and those he felt scorned by.

Some of Wolfgang von Goethe’s most famous works include stories like Faust I & II, Elective Affinities, and Italian Journey.

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Quote of the Day by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“Many people take no care of their money till they come nearly to the end of it, and others do just the same with their time.”

The quote from Wolfgang von Goethe is believed to be from his body of works, and is most likely included in Makarie’s Archive in Wilhelm Meister’s Journeyman Years or his Maxims and Reflections, but its origin isn’t entirely clear.

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Deeper Meaning of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Quote—‘People Take No Care’

Wolfgang von Goethe’s quote serves as a reminder of the importance of planning ahead, especially when it comes to your finances. Take the first part of the quote, “Many people take no care of their money till they come nearly to the end of it.” This could be seen as a reference to a lack of financial planning or budgeting.

Some people may not initially see a need to create a financial plan or budget when their bank accounts are full, because there’s enough money there to cover their expenses. However, by the time they realize that their money is running out and want to do something about it, it’s typically already too late.

The second part seems to address a separate but similar issue, with “and others do just the same with their time.” This is a more sobering version of the same problem at the start of the quote, and it points out that some people don’t think about how they spend their time until they are almost out of time.

Just like that common turn of phrase, it seems like Wolfgang von Goethe was saying that many people don’t know what they’ve got until it’s gone.

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More Quotes from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

• “A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.”
• “As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.”
• “We do not have to visit a madhouse to find disordered minds; our planet is the mental institution of the universe.”
• “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”