Wealth and want equally harden the human heart, like frost and fire both are alien to human flesh.

Summary

This quote highlights the idea that extreme conditions, be it in terms of wealth or deprivation, have a detrimental effect on the human heart. Accumulating great wealth can lead to a hardening of the heart, as power and opulence may breed greed and selfishness. Similarly, enduring extreme poverty can also harden the heart, as the constant struggle for survival may make individuals less compassionate and empathetic. The quote suggests that just as frost and fire are foreign to the natural warmth of human flesh, wealth and want are foreign to nurturing the kindness and generosity within the human heart.

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