Money and Wealth

It is not the man who has too little who is poor, but the one who craves more.

There is nothing so habit-forming as money.

If a nation values anything more than freedom, it will lose its freedom; and the irony of it is that if it is comfort or money that it values more, it will lose that too.

There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed.

They are not poor that have little, but they that desire much. The richest man, whatever his lot, is the one who’s content with his lot. Dutch Proverb

Wealth, and poverty; the one is the parent of luxury and indolence, and the other of meanness and viciousness, and both of discontent.

Wars and revolutions and battles, you see, are due simply and solely to the body and its desires. All wars are undertaken for the acquisition of wealth; and the reason why we have to acquire wealth is the body, because we are slaves in its service.

They think that you bear old age more easily not because of the way you live but because you’re wealthy, for the wealthy, they say, have many consolations.

The makers of fortunes have a second love of money as a creation of their own, resembling the affection of authors for their own poems, or of parents for their children, besides that natural love of it for the sake of use and profit which is common to them and all men. And hence they are very bad company, for they can talk about nothing but the praises of wealth.

No wealth can ever make a bad man at peace with himself

You don’t seem to love money too much. And those who haven’t made their own money are usually like you. But those who have made it for themselves are twice as fond of it as those who haven’t.

If people despise money when young, but grow to love it more and more as they grow older and no longer devote themselves to excellence as the best guardian, the power of reasoned, educated speech, leaves them.

Because people want more and more possessions, they start wanting more money, and thus honor money more and excellence less. Accordingly, the wealthy become more honored, and the people of excellence less honored. With the majority now money-loving businessmen instead of lovers of victory and honor, the admirable rich men will be put into office, and the poor will be dishonored.

Are you not ashamed that you give your attention to acquiring as much money as possible, and similarly with reputation and honor, and give no attention or thought to truth and understanding and the perfection of your soul?

Age isn't easy for a good man if he's poor, nor will a bad man ever be cheerful with himself even if he's rich.

It is better that a man should tyrannize over his bank balance than over his fellow citizens.

Of all the sources of human pride, mere wealth is the basest and most vulgar-minded. Real gentlemen are almost invariably above this low feeling.

It isn’t what a man has that constitutes wealth. No—it is to be satisfied with what one has; that is wealth.

Wealth is not without its advantages, and the case to the contrary, although it has often been made, has never proved widely persuasive.

Superfluous wealth can buy superfluities only. Money is not required to buy one necessary of the soul.

Without the rich heart, wealth is an ugly beggar.

Many possessions, if they do not make a man better, are at least expected to make his children happier; and this pathetic hope is behind many exertions.

It is preoccupation with possession, more than anything else, that prevents men from living freely and nobly.

Possessions possess.