“I believe that independent India can only discharge her duty towards a groaning world by adopting a simple but ennobled life by developing her thousands of cottages and living at peace with the world. High thinking is inconsistent with complicated material life based on high speed imposed on us by Mammon worship. All the graces of life are possible only when we learn the art of living nobly.”
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Source: Harijan (9 January 1946), p. 285; listed in the 1940s section of Gandhi's English Wikiquote page.
About this quote
Cramming life with speed and possessions leaves little room for the finer things — patience, generosity, care for a craft. The claim is that these graces need space and quiet to grow, so a deliberately plain life isn't deprivation but the condition that lets them appear.
When to use it
- A family that cuts back to one car and fewer gadgets suddenly has evenings free for slow meals and long talks.
- A craftsman who takes fewer orders can finally give each piece the care that makes it worth keeping.
- Someone who clears the clutter from a small apartment finds it easier to think, rest, and welcome friends.