What does this mean, "a man can gain the whole world and lose his own soul?"?

I think it means you can lose yourself trying to get everything? Like how people change when they become extremely rich?

I’ve never heard it before, but my guess would be that it’s a warning against focusing on material gains, that just because you have financial worth doesn’t mean that you’re a worthy person.

Somehow, this reminds me of the Antichrist in the Left Behind series.

Matthew 16:26 What is a man profited? All the wealth, glory, pleasure and power of earth are worthless to the dying man. If he should gain them all and lose his own soul, he has lost all.
It makes more sense when you have the entire sentence.

A good example for your question are drug dealers. they may have all the riches of the world for a short time. but, they have lost their soul to the devil for the crimes they have committed.

@Trillian ditto!

@Trillian It also makes more sense if you use your own words instead…..

Absolute power, corrupts absolutely.

@Trillian also, this question can be answered without Bibical quotes.

@Trillian was not be critical of your response..just pointing this out!

@BoBo1946, I suppose it could, but since that is where the quote came from to begin with, I thought, “What the heck?” My answer seems to have bothered more than one. Please accept my apologies.

@Trillian oh no, that is cool…liked your answer very much!

I think it means that being rich isn’t going to fulfill your deepest wants and you life will just be superficial to the point where you won’t even recognize yourself.

think pyrrhic victory; you can have everything yet be empty inside (perhaps because of the way you gained it, etc.) to where all you have means nothing.

@wonderingwhy very good!

You can have everything you ever wanted: All the riches, all the properties, all the livestock, cars, mansions and diamonds you could ever dream of having.. but not know a thing about joy, or true happiness.

Mark 8:36
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

@NaturalMineralWater for sure!

There are so many good examples. Look at Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, etc. They had it all…and more recently, Tiger Woods! Material things are wonderful, but they don’t feed the soul and make us complete and happy individuals!

As @john65pennington alluded to, it’s not necessarily the wealth or power but what you do to attain them.

@BoBo1946 You got that right. More wisdom from the Bible that many people (even in this thread!) had no idea was in the bible.

@NaturalMineralWater The Bible has all the answers! It is too bad that we like our own answers and that would certainly include me!

@NaturalMineralWater and @BoBo1946 You guys are joking right?

There’s a similar line in the play/movie “Man for All Seasons.”
Thomas More says to the lying, scheming Richard Rick: “Why Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world… but for Wales?
More is making the point that he (More) is about to die for standing on his principles, yet Richard has sold him out just the gain a title and wealth.
Adore that quote and sentiment.

@BoBo1946, the Bible doesn’t have all the answers, really – but it has a lot of pithy
ones that people quote, often without knowing where they came from, because it was the first book ever printed and circulated, and the stories in it were preached in church for centuries before people could read for themselves. Useful lessons have ingrained themselves into Western culture in the formats of this particular text.
Best regards from your friend, the pompous Susanc, answering a question you never asked.

@susanc and @Blackberry

Everyone has their own walk to walk, and personally, this is my faith. It may not be for everyone, but it had worked in my life.

@BoBo1946 sigh Ok you’re right….I guess lol.

@Blackberry thank you my friend. We are all in this together. Our walk is not easy, but we walk together.

@Blackberry Trust me, it’s just as difficult for me to understand your position. XD Hooray diversity!

@NaturalMineralWater Think that has been a problem through the ages….but, that is what makes the world twirl!

Money can’t buy happiness

The corporate executives who robbed tax-payers and accepted obscenely huge bonuses will roast in Hell for all eternity.

maybe you already know what it means. maybe, you’re just pretending not to know what it means.

@ultimateego everyone does not see things the same way! ditto!