Campus CrossWalk Magazine: 2007 Spring Issue -- Quotation Library: Wealth and Poverty

“It is very difficult for the prosperous to be humble.” ~ Jane Austin (1775-1817), Emma, 1816.
“Money is like muck, not good except it be spread.” ~ Francis Bacon (1561-1626), Of Seditions and Troubles.
“Money, it turned out, was exactly like sex. You thought of nothing else if you didn’t have it and thought of other things if you did.” ~ James Baldwin (1924-1987), Nobody Knows My Name, 1961.
“We bemoan the cruel injustice of $3 a gallon for gas in a country where three quarters of people classified as poor have air conditioning and microwave ovens.” ~ Michael Barone, June 5, 2006.
“Although golf was originally restricted to wealthy, overweight Protestants, today it's open to anybody who owns hideous clothing.“ ~ Dave Barry, humorist.
“Economic distress will teach men, if anything can, that realities are less dangerous than fancies, that fact-finding is more effective than fault-finding.” ~ Carl Lotus Becker (1873-1945), Progress and Power, 1935.
“A man is a person that will pay two dollars for a one dollar item he wants. A woman will pay one dollar for a two dollar item she doesn't want.” ~ William Binger.
“Money never starts an idea; it is the idea that starts the money.” ~ W. J. Cameron.
“Your American Express card cannot buy you happiness but, paradoxically, it can buy you unhappiness.” ~ Gregg Easterbrook, The Progress Paradox, pg. 125.
“It is difficult for a rich person to be modest, or a modest person rich.” ~ Epictetus, Greek philosopher; Enchiridion, AD 135.
“Money is far more persuasive than logical arguments.” ~ Euripides (c. 480-406 BC), Cyclops.
“If you would know the Value of Money, go and try to borrow some.” ~ Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1758.
“He that is of Opinion Money will do every Thing, may well be suspected of doing every Thing for Money.” ~ Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1753.
“I am indeed rich since my income is superior to my expenses, and my expense is equal to my wishes.” ~ Edward Gibbon (173701794), Memoirs.
“He is almost always a slave who cannot live on little.” ~ Horace (65-8 BC), Roman poet; Satires.
“Agriculture, manufactures, commerce, and navigation, the four pillars of our prosperity, are then most thriving when left most free to individual enterprise.” ~ Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), Third U.S. President, first annual message to Congress, Dec. 8, 1801.
“The man who marries for money, earns it!” ~ Jewish saying.
“The real measure of our wealth is how much we’d be worth if we lost all our money.” ~ John Henry Jowett.
"One of the dangers of having a lot of money is that you may be quite satisfied with the kinds of happiness money can give and so fail to realize your need for God. If everything seems to come simply by writing checks, you may forget that you are at every moment totally dependent on God." ~ C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), Mere Christianity.
“The Lord commonly gives riches to foolish people, to whom he gives nothing else.” ~ Martin Luther (1483-1546), German theologian, reformer.
“I have enough money to last me for the rest of my life, unless I buy something.” ~ Jackie Mason, comedian.
"The difference between death and taxes is death doesn't get worse every time Congress meets." ~ Will Rogers (1879-1935), rancher, humorist.
"Income tax has made more liars out of the American people than the game of golf has." ~ Will Rogers (1879-1935), The Illiterate Digest, 1924.
“Alexis de Tocqueville was astounded to see Americans forming associations to fight poverty and other social ills rather than waiting for government to act.” ~ Marvin Olasky, Compassionate Conservatism (2000). A reference to an observation made by an early 19th century Frenchman visiting America.
“Money: a blessing that is of no advantage to us accepting when we part with it.” ~ Ambrose Pierce, The Devil’s Dictionary.
“A recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you lose yours.” ~ Ronald Reagan (1911-2004), U.S. President,1982.
“A full pocketbook often groans more loudly than an empty stomach.” ~ Franklin Delano Roosevelt, speech, Nov. 1, 1940.
“The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), soldier, statesman, president.
“Why unemployment rates are so high in Western Europe poses no mystery. Our governments pay citizens when they don’t work and tax them heavily when they do.” ~ Nima Sanandaji, op-ed; “The Decline of Europe,” July 12, 2005.
“No one can be poor who has enough, nor rich who covets more.” ~ Seneca (4 BC to 65 AD), Roman philosopher.
“All money is a matter of belief.” ~ Adam Smith, Paper Money, 1981.
“The propensity to truck, barter and exchange one thing for another is common to all men, and to be found in no other race of animals.” ~ Adam Smith (1723-1790), Scottish Economist. “Poverty is no disgrace to a man, but it is profoundly inconvenient.” ~ Reverend Sydney Smith, His Wit and Wisdom.
“At least half of the popular fallacies about economics come from assuming that economic activity is a zero-sum game, in which what is gained by someone is lost by someone else. But transactions would not continue unless both sides gained, whether in international trade, employment, or renting an apartment.” ~ Dr. Thomas Sowell, Random Thoughts, June 13, 2006.
"Fortune is like glass--the brighter the glitter, the more easily broken." Pubilius Syrus, first century, BC. Maxim 280.
“That man is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest.” ~ Henry David Thoreau, Journal, March 3, 1856.
"Ability is a poor man's wealth." ~ John Wooden (1910-present), first enshrined in basketball’s hall of fame as both player and coach.

Inspired Insights

(Scripture passages listed generally in chronological order)

"You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly." ~ Leviticus 19:15.

“Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow”— when you now have it with you.” ~ Proverbs 3:28.

“The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor. The wages of the righteous bring them life, but the income of the wicked brings them punishment.” ~ Proverbs 10:15-16.

“Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” ~ Proverbs 11:4.

“Trust in your money and down you go! Trust in God and flourish as a tree.” ~ Proverbs 11:28 (The Living Bible--paraphrase).

“The house of the righteous contains great treasure, but the income of the wicked brings them trouble.” ~ Proverbs 15:6.

“Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil.” ~ Proverbs 15:16.

“A greedy man brings trouble to his family, but he who hates bribes will live.” ~ Proverbs 15:27.

“Wealth brings many friends, but a poor man’s friend deserts him.” ~ Proverbs 19:4.

“An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning will not be blessed at the end.” ~ Proverbs 20:21.

“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” ~ Proverbs 21:5.

“He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.” ~ Proverbs 21:21.

“Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life.” ~ Proverbs 22:4.

“He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.” ~ Proverbs 22:16.

“Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. Do not eat the food of a stingy man, do not crave his delicacies; for he is the kind of man who is always thinking about the cost.” ~ Proverbs 23:4-7.

“For drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.” ~ Proverbs 23:21.

“A rich man may be wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has discernment sees through him.” ~ Proverbs 28:11.

“Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.” ~ Proverbs 30:8.

“The leech has two daughters. ‘Give! Give!’ they cry. “There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’: the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’” ~ Proverbs 30:15-16.

“The poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.” ~ Ecclesiastes 9:10.

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” ~ Jesus, Matthew 6:24.

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” ~ Jesus, Luke 12:15.

“This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” ~ Jesus’ conclusion to the parable of the rich fool,” Luke 12:21.

“Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.” ~ Jesus, Luke 12:23.

“Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” ~ Jesus, Luke 12:33-34.

“At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.” ~ Paul, 2 Corinthians 8:14-15.

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” ~ Paul, 1 Timothy 6:6-10.

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” ~ Paul, 1 Timothy 6:17-19.

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” ~ Hebrews 13:5.