--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is the first duty of every man not to…" description: "\"It is the first duty of every man not to be poor.\" — George Bernard Shaw" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/357/george-bernard-shaw-68_duty_it-is-the-first-duty-of-every-man-not-to_1604341.png" --- # It is the first duty of every man not to be poor. ![“It is the first duty of every man not to be poor.” quote by George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/357/george-bernard-shaw-68_duty_it-is-the-first-duty-of-every-man-not-to_1604341.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/357/george-bernard-shaw-68_duty_it-is-the-first-duty-of-every-man-not-to_1604341.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/357/george-bernard-shaw-68_duty_it-is-the-first-duty-of-every-man-not-to_1604341.png) > “It is the first duty of every man not to be poor.” [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Men should strive to avoid poverty through effort and responsibility. **In simple terms:** Men should avoid poverty. Key Takeaway Work diligently to prevent poverty. Themes responsibility economics ethics Mood serious thoughtful Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - financial planning - career development - education - community support Key Concepts social duty self-reliance Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do you hold? - How can society aid those in poverty? A Different Perspective Ignores systemic barriers to wealth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Duty Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty-man-336597/) [Every man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-man/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Man Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-poor/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) ## Related quotes > [The whole duty of man is summed up in obedience to God's will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-whole-duty-of-man-is-summed-up-in-obedience-to-god-s-will/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [The first duty of man is that of subduing fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/the-first-duty-of-man-is-that-of-subduing-fear/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Taking all the round of professions and occupations, you will find that every man is the worse for being poor; and the doctor is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/taking-all-the-round-of-professions-and-occupations-you-will-find/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [...it is proper that the duty of helping the poor and unfortunate should especially stir Catholics, since they are members of the Mystical Body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-xxii/it-is-proper-that-the-duty-of-helping-the-poor-and-unfortunate-should/) [Pope John XXII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-xxii/) > [The first duty of man is to conquer fear; he must get rid of it, he cannot act till then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/the-first-duty-of-man-is-to-conquer-fear-he-must-get-rid-of-it-he/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [The first duty of man is the seeking after and the investigation of truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/the-first-duty-of-man-is-the-seeking-after-and-the-investigation-of/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The duty of man is the same in respect to his own nature as in respect to the nature of all other things, namely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-duty-of-man-is-the-same-in-respect-to-his-own-nature-as-in/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Morality or duty never yet made a man happy in himself or dear to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/morality-or-duty-never-yet-made-a-man-happy-in-himself-or-dear-to/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [The real duty of man is not to extend his power or multiply his wealth beyond his needs, but to enrich and enjoy his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-highet/the-real-duty-of-man-is-not-to-extend-his-power-or-multiply-his/) [Gilbert Highet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-highet/) > [To mind your own business incorporates the whole duty of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigham-young/to-mind-your-own-business-incorporates-the-whole-duty-of-man/) [Brigham Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigham-young/) > [The first duty of a man is to think for himself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-marti/the-first-duty-of-a-man-is-to-think-for-himself/) [Jose Marti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-marti/) > [The foundation of a man's duty as a man is in truth. Beyond this there is nothing to be said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torii-mototada/the-foundation-of-a-man-s-duty-as-a-man-is-in-truth-beyond-this-there/) [Torii Mototada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torii-mototada/) > [To be good, and do good, is the whole duty of man comprised in a few words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-adams/to-be-good-and-do-good-is-the-whole-duty-of-man-comprised-in-a-few/) [Abigail Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-adams/) > [Women think of being a man as a gift. It is a duty. Even making love can be a duty. A man has always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/women-think-of-being-a-man-as-a-gift-it-is-a-duty-even-making-love/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [It is the duty of every man to uphold the dignity of every woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/it-is-the-duty-of-every-man-to-uphold-the-dignity-of-every-woman/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) ## More by George Bernard Shaw > [I love little children too but I don't cut off their heads and stick them in vases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/i-love-little-children-too-but-i-don-t-cut-off-their-heads-and-stick/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Blasphemy and sedition (meaning the truth about Church and State).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/blasphemy-and-sedition-meaning-the-truth-about-church-and-state/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [In the arts of life, man invents nothing; but in the arts of death he outdoes Nature herself, and produces by chemistry and machinery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/in-the-arts-of-life-man-invents-nothing-but-in-the-arts-of-death-he/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“My religious convictions and scientific views cannot at present be more specifically defined than as those of a believer in creative evolution. I desire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/my-religious-convictions-and-scientific-views-cannot-at-present-be/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [What a man believes may be ascertained, not from his creed, but from the assumptions on which he habitually acts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/what-a-man-believes-may-be-ascertained-not-from-his-creed-but-from/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [You are my inspiration and my folly. You are my light across the sea, my million nameless joys, and my day's wage. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/you-are-my-inspiration-and-my-folly-you-are-my-light-across-the-sea/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Men have to do some awfully mean things to keep up their respectability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/men-have-to-do-some-awfully-mean-things-to-keep-up-their/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The schoolmaster is the person who takes the children off the parents' hands for a consideration. That is to say, he establishes a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-schoolmaster-is-the-person-who-takes-the-children-off-the-parents/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [As long as I have a want, I have a reason for living. Satisfaction is death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/as-long-as-i-have-a-want-i-have-a-reason-for-living-satisfaction-is/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The camera can represent flesh so superbly that, if I dared, I would never photograph a figure without asking that figure to take its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-camera-can-represent-flesh-so-superbly-that-if-i-dared-i-would/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [A man who is not a communist at the age of twenty is a fool. Any man who is still communist at the age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/a-man-who-is-not-a-communist-at-the-age-of-twenty-is-a-fool-any-man/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [But to admire a strong person and to live under that strong person’s thumb are two different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/but-to-admire-a-strong-person-and-to-live-under-that-strong-person-s/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Socialism is the same as Communism, only better English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/socialism-is-the-same-as-communism-only-better-english/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The person who is ignorant enough to believe that his nourishment depends on meat is in a horrible dilemma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-person-who-is-ignorant-enough-to-believe-that-his-nourishment/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [In the arts of peace Man is a bungler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/in-the-arts-of-peace-man-is-a-bungler/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) [Explore all 1,640 George Bernard Shaw quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## More Duty quotes > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Few political debates have been as divisive as the European one. I fought as hard as I could on the Remain side, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/few-political-debates-have-been-as-divisive-as-the-european-one-i/) [Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/) > [I'm a strange mixture of my mother's curiosity; my father, who grew up the son of the manse in a Presbyterian family, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-a-strange-mixture-of-my-mother-s-curiosity-my-father-who-grew-up/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [“Is that what they teach you at the convent? That the gods demand the hearts from our bodies?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-lafevers/is-that-what-they-teach-you-at-the-convent-that-the-gods-demand-the/) [Robin LaFevers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-lafevers/) > [The less we show our love to a woman, Or please her less, and neglect our duty, The more we trap and ruin her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pushkin/the-less-we-show-our-love-to-a-woman-or-please-her-less-and-neglect/) [Alexander Pushkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pushkin/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [Consideration is the soil in which wisdom may be expected to grow, and strength be given to every up-springing plant of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/consideration-is-the-soil-in-which-wisdom-may-be-expected-to-grow-and/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“You have a right to be sad, and a duty to move on. Only wins who wipes the tears, gather strength and move forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusto-branco/you-have-a-right-to-be-sad-and-a-duty-to-move-on-only-wins-who-wipes/) [Augusto Branco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusto-branco/) > [Our duty as Christians is always to keep heaven in our eye and earth under our feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/our-duty-as-christians-is-always-to-keep-heaven-in-our-eye-and-earth/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [Regardless of how you feel about war and peace those serving military are doing a duty for the rest of us and they're protecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-cardellini/regardless-of-how-you-feel-about-war-and-peace-those-serving-military/) [Linda Cardellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-cardellini/) > [“Duty is a done deal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/duty-is-a-done-deal/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Politics...You see, it depends on what kind of politics. What we did during my father's generation was a duty. And it was beautiful because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/politics-you-see-it-depends-on-what-kind-of-politics-what-we-did/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [I do not so much rejoice that God hath made me to be a Queen, as to be a Queen over so thankful a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/i-do-not-so-much-rejoice-that-god-hath-made-me-to-be-a-queen-as-to-be/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [The whole duty of man is summed up in obedience to God's will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-whole-duty-of-man-is-summed-up-in-obedience-to-god-s-will/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) [Browse all 5,178 Duty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is the first duty of every man not to be poor.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Bernard Shaw" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/it-is-the-first-duty-of-every-man-not-to-be-poor/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Duty" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/it-is-the-first-duty-of-every-man-not-to-be-poor/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/357/george-bernard-shaw-68_duty_it-is-the-first-duty-of-every-man-not-to_1604341.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/357/george-bernard-shaw-68_duty_it-is-the-first-duty-of-every-man-not-to_1604341.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/357/george-bernard-shaw-68_duty_it-is-the-first-duty-of-every-man-not-to_1604341.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is the first duty of every man not to be poor.” — George Bernard Shaw", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "George Bernard Shaw", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is the first duty of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/it-is-the-first-duty-of-every-man-not-to-be-poor/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/it-is-the-first-duty-of-every-man-not-to-be-poor/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```