Nothing is more fallacious than wealth. Today it is for thee, tomorrow it is against thee. It arms the eyes of the envious everywhere. It is a hostile comrade, a domestic enemy.
—John Chrysostom (349–407) Greek Christian Saint, Religious Leader
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) English Textile Designer, Artist, Socialist, Writer
The jests of the rich are ever successful.
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) Irish Author, Playwright, Poet, Physician
Avarice, greed, concupiscence and so forth are all based on the mathematical truism that the more you get, the more you have. The remark of Jesus that it is more blessed to give than to receive is based on the human truth that the more you give away in love, the more you are. It is not just for the sake of other people that Jesus tells us to give rather than get, but for our own sakes too.
—Frederick Buechner (b.1926) American Presbyterian Clergyman, Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist, Theologian
It is wonderful to think how men of very large estates not only spend their yearly income, but are often actually in want of money. It is clear, they have not value for what they spend.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
The true way to gain much, is never to desire to gain too much. — He is not rich that possesses much, but he that covets no more; and he is not poor that enjoys little, but he that wants too much.
—Francis Beaumont (1584–1616) English Dramatist
Barring some piece of luck I have seen but few men get rich rapidly except by means that would make them writhe to have known in public.
—Charles Dudley Warner (1829–1900) American Essayist, Novelist
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
Riches do not delight us so much with their possession, as torment us with their loss.
—Dick Gregory
Without a rich heart, wealth is an ugly beggar.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread.
—Anatole France (1844-1924) French Novelist
The rich man is always sold to the institution which makes him rich. Absolutely speaking, the more money, the less virtue.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
The wealth of man is the number of things which he loves and blesses, which he is loved and blessed by.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Writer
Poverty is a veil that obscures the face of greatness. An appeal is a mask covering the face of tribulation.
—Khalil Gibran (1883-1931) Lebanese-born American Philosopher, Poet, Painter, Theologian, Sculptor
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
‘Tis a sort of duty to be rich, that it may be in one’s power to do good, riches being another word for power.
—Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689–1762) English Aristocrat, Poet, Novelist, Writer
The real price of everything is the toil and trouble of acquiring it.
—Adam Smith (1723–90) Scottish Philosopher, Economist
Worldly wealth is the devil’s bait; and those whose minds feed upon riches, recede in general from real happiness, in proportion as their stores increase; as the moon, when she is fullest of light, is farthest from the sun.
—Richard Burton (1925–84) Welsh Actor
Let us not envy some men their accumulated riches; their burden would be too heavy for us; we could not sacrifice, as they do, health, quiet, honor, and conscience, to obtain them: it is to pay so dear for them that the bargain is a loss.
—Jean de La Bruyere
Excess of wealth is cause of covetousness.
—Christopher Marlowe (1564-93) English Playwright, Poet, Translator
Every time a man expects, as he says, his money to work for him, he is expecting other people to work for him.
—Dorothy L. Sayers (1893–1957) British Novelist, Playwright, Essayist, Translator, Poet
He who knows he has enough is rich.
—Laozi (b.604BCE–d:Unknown) Chinese Philosopher
Wealth is not a matter of intelligence it’s a matter of inspiration.
—Jim Rohn (1930–2009) American Entrepreneur, Author, Motivational Speaker
Wealth is an inborn attitude of mind, like poverty. The pauper who has made his pile may flaunt his spoils, but cannot wear them plausibly.
—Jean Cocteau (1889–1963) French Poet, Novelist, Dramatist, Playwright, Artist
The poor are the only consistent altruists; they sell all they have and give it to the rich.
—Holbrook Jackson (1874–1948) British Journalist, Writer, Publisher
Money is always on its way somewhere. What you do with it while it is in your keeping and the direction you send it in say much about you. Your treatment of and respect for money, how you make it, and how you spend it, reflect your character.
—Gary Ryan Blair
If you can count your money, you don’t have a billion dollars.
—J. Paul Getty (1892–1976) American Business Person, Art Collector, Philanthropist
Put all your eggs in one basket and then watch that basket.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
Get place and wealth, if possible with grace; if not, by any means get wealth and place.
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744) English Poet
A man that hoards up riches and enjoys them not, is like an ass that carries gold and eats thistles.
—Richard Burton (1925–84) Welsh Actor
Not what we have, but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.
—Jean Antoine Petit-Senn (1792–1870) Swiss Poet
It is great wealth to a soul to live frugally with a contented mind.
—Lucretius Roman Poet, Philosopher
Many a beggar at the crossway, or gray-haired shepherd on the plain, hath more of the end of all wealth than hundreds who multiply the means.
—Martin Farquhar Tupper (1810-89) English Poet, Writer
A rich man is nothing but a poor man with money.
—W. C. Fields (1880–1946) American Actor, Comedian, Writer
The only truly affluent are those who do not want more than they have.
—Erich Fromm (1900–80) German Psychologist, Psychoanalyst, Philosopher
No one has ever said it, but how painfully true it is that the poor have us always with them.
—Saki (Hector Hugh Munro) (1870–1916) British Short Story Writer, Satirist, Historian
Real riches are the riches possessed inside.
—B. C. Forbes (1880-1954) Scottish-born American Journalist, Publisher
When the anger of the gods is incurred, wealth or power only bring more devastating punishment.
—Euripides (480–406 BCE) Ancient Greek Dramatist
A little beauty is preferable to much wealth.
—Sa’Di (Musharrif Od-Din Muslih Od-Din) (1184–1283) Persian Poet
Elegance does not consist in putting on a new dress.
—Coco Chanel (1883–1971) French Fashion Designer
There is nothing wrong with men possessing riches. The wrong comes when riches possess men.
—Billy Graham (1918-91) American Baptist Religious Leader
The penalty of affluence is that it cuts one off from the common lot, common experience, and common fellowship. In a sense it outlaws one automatically from one’s birthright of membership in the great human family.
—Arnold J. Toynbee (1889–1975) British Historian
That the poor are invisible is one of the most important things about them. They are not simply neglected and forgotten as in the old rhetoric of reform; what is much worse, they are not seen.
—Michael Harrington (1928–89) American Socialist, Writer, Political Activist, Academic
Money is power. Every good man and woman ought to strive for power, to do good with it when obtained. I say, get rich, get rich.
—Russell Conwell (1843–1925) American Baptist Minister, Orator, Philanthropist, Lawyer, Academic
Wealth hath never given happiness, but often hastened misery; enough hath never caused misery, but often quickened happiness.
—Martin Farquhar Tupper (1810-89) English Poet, Writer
A man who both spends and saves money is the happiest man, because he has both enjoyments.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
I wish I were either rich enough or poor enough to do a lot of things that are impossible in my present comfortable circumstances.
—Don Herold (1889–1966) American Humorist, Writer, Illustrator, Cartoonist
When a man tells you that he got rich through hard work, ask him whose?
—Don Marquis (1878–1937) American Humorist, Journalist, Novelist, Playwright, Writer
Diamonds are only lumps of coal that stuck to their jobs.
—B. C. Forbes (1880-1954) Scottish-born American Journalist, Publisher