proverb · Legacy record
A place where flowers are priced so as to make them a luxury has yet to learn the first principles of civilization.
A place where flowers are priced so as to make them a luxury has yet to learn the first principles of civilization.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Flowers priced as luxury are used to question a society’s priorities. The saying values access to ordinary beauty as part of a civilised life.
What the words are saying
The price criterion is a moral judgment rather than a complete economic or historical measure. A responsible interpretation can discuss access without ignoring other urgent needs or labelling an entire society inferior. Actual resources and choices need examination; no purchase recommendation is supplied.
Everyday example
A reader considers who can access valued public beauty alongside other practical needs.
When to use it
Use it critically to discuss access and social priorities.
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What it does not mean
No complete civilisation ranking or universal price threshold is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
China
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 294; PDF page 32; collection label: China
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- China