Quote by Thomas Carlyle

The world is an old woman, and mistakes any gilt farthing for a gold coin; whereby being often cheated, she will thenceforth trust nothing but the common copper

The world is an old woman, and mistakes any gilt farthing fo

Summary

This quote speaks to the disillusionment and mistrust that can arise from repeatedly being deceived or fooled. Describing the world as an old woman implies that it has aged and accumulated wisdom, but it has also been deceived so many times that it no longer easily believes in the value of things. The mention of mistaking a cheap coin for one made of gold reflects how easily the world is tricked and emphasizes its wariness and skepticism. As a result, it no longer trusts anything except what is common and familiar, symbolized by the reference to copper.

Topics

World Cheating

By Thomas Carlyle

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