曹雪芹在 《 紅樓夢 》 第一回中裡寫出 《 好了歌 》 思想。 甄士隱家業破敗後，夫妻倆到鄉下田莊里生活。又趕上“水旱不收，鼠盜蜂起”，不得安身，只好變賣了田產，投奔到岳父家。其岳父又是個卑鄙貪財的人，把他僅剩的一點銀子也半哄半賺地弄到自己手裡。甄士隱“急忿怨痛”、“貧病交攻”，直正走投無路了。 一天，他拄著拐杖走到街上，突然見一個“瘋癲落脫、麻履鶉衣”的跛足道人走過來，叨唸出這首歌。
世人都曉神仙好，
惟有功名忘不了。
古今將相在何方，
荒冢一堆草沒了。
Though the virtues of the God,
All mankind may fully know,
Earthly longings and ambitions
they unwillingly forego.
Yet pause and think ! The wise and brave
of old, now where are they ?
Their graves overgrown and hidden with weeds
Themselves a heap of clay.
世人都曉神仙好，
只有金銀忘不了。
終朝只恨聚無多，
及到多時眼閉了。
Though the virtues of the God,
All mankind may fully know,
Still the heaping up of riches
They reluctantly forego.
Daily they lament their failure,
With their first and latest breath,
When satiety arrives
Then their eyes are closed in death.