Much learning shows how little mortals know; much wealth, how little worldlings can enjoy.
—Edward Young (1683–1765) English Poet
The use we make of our fortune determines as to its sufficiency.—A little is enough if used wisely, and too much if expended foolishly.
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
Riches are for spending, and spending for honor and good actions; therefore extraordinary expense must be limited by the worth of the occasion.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
Of rich men it telleth, and strange is the story how they have, and they hanker, and grip far and wide; And they live and they die, and the earth and its glory has been but a burden they scarce might abide.
—William Morris (1834–96) British Designer, Craftsman, Poet, Writer
Sir, money, money, the most charming of all things: money, which will say more in one moment than the most elegant lover can in years. Perhaps you will say a man is not young; I answer he is rich. He is not genteel, handsome, witty, brave, good-humored, but he is rich, rich, rich, rich, rich—that one word contradicts everything you can say against him.
—Henry Fielding (1707–54) English Novelist, Dramatist
I am not rich. I am a poor man with money, which is not the same thing.
—Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1927–2014) Colombian Novelist, Short-Story Writer
Riches are chiefly good because they give us time.
—Charles Lamb (1775–1834) British Essayist, Poet
I don’t mind their having a lot of money, and I don’t care how they employ it, but I do think that they damn well ought to admit they enjoy it.
—Ogden Nash (1902–71) American Writer of Sophisticated Light Verse
Have you never been moved by poor men’s fidelity, the image of you they form in their simple minds? Why should you always talk of their envy, without understanding that what they ask of you is not so much your worldly goods, as something very hard to define, which they themselves can put no name to; yet at times it consoles their loneliness; a dream of splendor, of magnificence, a tawdry dream, a poor man’s dream—and yet God blesses it!
—Georges Bernanos (1888–1948) French Author
The acquisition of riches has been to many not an end to their miseries, but a change in them: The fault is not in the riches, but the disposition.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
Wouldst thou multiply thy riches?—diminish them wisely.—Or wouldst thou make thine estate entire?—divide it charitably.—Seeds that are scattered increase, but hoarded up they perish.
—Francis Quarles (1592–1644) English Religious Poet
So our Lord God commonly gave riches to those gross asses to whom he vouchsafed nothing else.
—Martin Luther (1483–1546) German Protestant Theologian
The larger the income, the harder it is to live within it.
—Richard Whately (1787–1863) English Philosopher, Theologian
This, then, is held to be the duty of the man of wealth: First, to set an example of modest, unostentatious living, shunning display or extravagance; to provide moderately for the legitimate wants of those dependent upon him; and, after doing so, to consider all surplus revenues which come to him simply as trust funds, which he is called upon to administer, and strictly bound as a matter of duty to administer in the manner which, in his judgment, is best calculated to produce the most beneficial results for the community—the man of wealth thus becoming the mere trustee and agent for his poorer brethren, bringing to their service his superior wisdom, experience and ability to administer, doing for them better than they would or could do for themselves.
—Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919) Scottish-American Industrialist
Riches are the pettiest and least worthy gifts which God can give a man. What are they to God’s Word, to bodily gifts, such as beauty and health; or to the gifts of the mind, such as understanding, skill, wisdom! Yet men toil for them day and night, and take no rest. Therefore God commonly gives riches to foolish people to whom he gives nothing else.
—Martin Luther (1483–1546) German Protestant Theologian
Never respect men merely for their riches, but rather for their philanthropy; we do not value the sun for its height, but for its use.
—Gamaliel Bailey (1807–59) American Journalist
Great riches have sold more men than they have bought.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
That man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
A rich man, of cultivated tastes, with every right to gratify them, knowing enough of sorrow to humble his heart toward God, and soften it toward his neighbor—gifted with not only the power but will to do good, and having lived long enough to reap the fruits of an honorable youth in a calm old age—such a man, in spite of his riches, is not unlikely to enter the kingdom of heaven.
—Dinah Craik (1826–87) British Novelist, Essayist, Poet
A fortune is usually the greatest of misfortunes to children. It takes the muscles out of the limbs, the brain out of the head, and virtue out of the heart. In this world, it is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
For just as poets love their own works, and fathers their own children, in the same way those who have created a fortune value their money, not merely for its uses, like other persons, but because it is their own production. This makes them moreover disagreeable companions, because they will praise nothing but riches.
—Plato (428 BCE–347 BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Mathematician, Educator
Agur said, “Give me neither poverty nor riches”; and this will ever be the prayer of the wise. Our incomes should be like our shoes: if too small, they will gall and pinch us, but if too large, they will cause us to stumble and to trip. But wealth, after all, is a relative thing, since he that has little, and wants less, is richer than he that has much, but wants more. True contentment depends not upon what we have; a tub was large enough for Diogenes, but a world was too little for Alexander.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
Her voice is full of money.
—F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) American Novelist
The pleasures of the rich are bought with the tears of the poor.
—Thomas Fuller (1608–61) English Cleric, Historian
A great estate is a great disadvantage to those who do not know how to use it, for nothing is more common than to see wealthy persons live scandalously and miserably; riches do them no service in order to virtue and happiness; it is precept and principle, not an estate, that makes a man good for something.
—Marcus Aurelius (121–180) Emperor of Rome, Stoic Philosopher
As riches and favor forsake a man, we discover him to be a fool but nobody could find it out in his prosperity.
—Jean de La Bruyere (1645–96) French Satiric Moralist, Author
He who knows he has enough is rich.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
Riches ennoble a man’s circumstances, but not himself.
—Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) Prussian German Philosopher, Logician
If thou art rich, then show the greatness of thy fortune; or what is better, the greatness of thy soul, in the meekness of thy conversation; condescend to men of low estate, support the distressed, and patronize the neglected. Be great.
—Laurence Sterne (1713–68) Irish Anglican Novelist, Clergyman
Riches are valuable at all times and to all men, because they always purchase pleasures such as men are accustomed to and desire: nor can anything restrain or regulate the love of money but a sense of honor and virtue, which, if not equal at all times, will naturally abound most in ages of knowledge and refinement.
—David Hume (1711–76) Scottish Philosopher, Historian
The greatest and the most amiable privilege which the rich enjoy over the poor is that which they exercise the least,—the privilege of making others happy.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
The much-maligned idle rich have received a bad rap: They have maintained their wealth while many There is scarcely an instance of a man who has made a fortune by speculation and kept it. Andrew Carnegie of the energetic rich, aggressive real estate operators, corporate acquirers, oil drillers, etc. have their fortunes disappear.
—Warren Buffett (b.1930) American Investor
The prouder a man is, the more he thinks he deserves, and the more he thinks he deserves, the less he really does deserve.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
A man seldom gets rich without ill-got gain; as a horse does not fatten without feeding in the night.
—Chinese Proverb
Riches amassed in haste will diminish, but those collected by little and little will multiply.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
Riches are not an end of life, but an instrument of life.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
For a person to build a rich and rewarding life for himself, there are certain qualities and bits of knowledge that he needs to acquire. There are also things, harmful attitudes, superstitions, and emotions that he needs to chip away. A person needs to chip away everything that doesn’t look like the person he or she most wants to become.
—Earl Nightingale (1921–89) American Motivational Speaker, Author
Her voice is full of money.
—Unknown
He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.
—Socrates (469BCE–399BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Real riches are the riches possessed inside.
—B. C. Forbes (1880–1954) Scottish-born American Journalist, Publisher
Among the very rich you will never find a really generous man, even by accident. They may give their money away, but they will never give themselves away; they are egoistic, secretive, dry as old bones. To be smart enough to get all that money you must be dull enough to want it.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
Riches enlarge rather than satisfy appetites.
—Thomas Fuller (1608–61) English Cleric, Historian
If Heaven had looked upon riches to be a valuable thing, it would not have given them to such a scoundrel.
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) Irish Satirist
There is no less merit in keeping what we have got, than in first acquiring it. Chance has something to do with the one, while the other will always be the effect of skill.
—Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso) (c.43 BCE–c.18 CE) Roman Poet
Riches are apt to betray a man into arrogance.
—Joseph Addison (1672–1719) English Essayist, Poet, Playwright, Politician
That plenty should produce either covetousness or prodigality is a perversion of providence; and yet the generality of men are the worse for their riches.
—William Penn (1644–1718) American Entrepreneur, Political leader, Philosopher
There is nothing wrong with men possessing riches. The wrong comes when riches possess men.
—Billy Graham (1918–91) American Baptist Religious Leader
Riches do not delight us so much with their possession, as torment us with their loss.
—Dick Gregory (1932–2017) American Comedian, Civil Rights Activist
Riches have never fascinated me, unless combined with the greatest charm or distinction.
—F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) American Novelist