--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man's wealth must be determined by the…" description: "\"A man's wealth must be determined by the relation of his desires and expenditures to his income. If he feels rich on ten dollars, and has everything el..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/john-d-rockefeller-3693_desire_a-man-s-wealth-must-be-determined-by-the_1956006.jpg" --- # A man's wealth must be determined by the relation of his… ![“A man's wealth must be determined by the relation of his desires and expenditures to his income. If he feels rich on ten dollars, and has everything else he desires, he really is rich.” quote by John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/john-d-rockefeller-3693_desire_a-man-s-wealth-must-be-determined-by-the_1956006.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/john-d-rockefeller-3693_desire_a-man-s-wealth-must-be-determined-by-the_1956006.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/john-d-rockefeller-3693_desire_a-man-s-wealth-must-be-determined-by-the_1956006.jpg) > “A man's wealth must be determined by the relation of his desires and expenditures to his income. If he feels rich on ten dollars, and has everything else he desires, he really is rich.” [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wealth is measured by how well one's desires and spending align with income; feeling rich on modest means reflects true wealth. **In simple terms:** True wealth is desire‑income balance. Key Takeaway Align desires with income. Themes wealth contentment financial literacy Mood reflective pragmatic Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - budgeting - personal finance - minimalism - goal setting Key Concepts economics psychology Questions to Reflect On - Are your spending habits reflecting your values? - How can you feel richer without more money? A Different Perspective If income is low, desires may be unrealistic, limiting perceived wealth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Determined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determined/) [Dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dollars/) [Income](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/income/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) ## Related quotes > [Nobody ever feels rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-rantzen/nobody-ever-feels-rich/) Esther Rantzen > [“He felt that flush of antagonism a poor man feels for a rich woman who is in some way asserting her superiority to him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/he-felt-that-flush-of-antagonism-a-poor-man-feels-for-a-rich-woman/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“It is an oft-repeated axiom that a person can learn a whole lot about a society by how it treats its poor; but just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziad-k-abdelnour/it-is-an-oft-repeated-axiom-that-a-person-can-learn-a-whole-lot-about/) [Ziad K. 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It is determined by policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schneiderman/the-distribution-of-wealth-is-not-determined-by-nature-it-is/) [Eric Schneiderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schneiderman/) > [Return from existence to nonexistence. You are seeking the Lord and you belong to him. Nonexistence is a place of income; flee it not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/return-from-existence-to-nonexistence-you-are-seeking-the-lord-and/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [You don't lock into a ten-year family budget. You take it a year at a time - maybe even six months at a time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/you-don-t-lock-into-a-ten-year-family-budget-you-take-it-a-year-at-a/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [It is of the greatest consequence that the debt should, with the consent of the creditors, be remoulded into such a shape as will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/it-is-of-the-greatest-consequence-that-the-debt-should-with-the/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [Expenditures rise to meet income.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-northcote-parkinson/expenditures-rise-to-meet-income/) [C. Northcote Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-northcote-parkinson/) > [Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pound ought and six, result misery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/annual-income-twenty-pounds-annual-expenditure-nineteen-six-result/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“I once asked him why he smoked the world's most expensive cigarette, and he told me it was because he was a man of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-h-koehler/i-once-asked-him-why-he-smoked-the-world-s-most-expensive-cigarette/) K.H. Koehler > [Millions of men give all their energies, as well as their very souls, for the acquisition of gold. And this will continue as long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/millions-of-men-give-all-their-energies-as-well-as-their-very-souls/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [A rich man with his wealth a poor man with his God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercy-pheona/a-rich-man-with-his-wealth-a-poor-man-with-his-god/) [Mercy Pheona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercy-pheona/) ## More by John D. Rockefeller > [If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/if-your-only-goal-is-to-become-rich-you-will-never-achieve-it/) [John D. 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All that power and he wasn't even rich!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/to-think-all-that-power-and-he-wasn-t-even-rich/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [The only question with wealth is, what do you do with it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/the-only-question-with-wealth-is-what-do-you-do-with-it/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [I know of nothing more despicable and pathetic than a man who devotes all the hours of the waking day to the making of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/i-know-of-nothing-more-despicable-and-pathetic-than-a-man-who-devotes/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [I always tried to turn every disaster into an opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/i-always-tried-to-turn-every-disaster-into-an-opportunity/) [John D. 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Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [The major fortunes in America have been made in land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/the-major-fortunes-in-america-have-been-made-in-land/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) [Explore all 123 John D. Rockefeller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) ## More Desire quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [I want the municipality to be a helping hand to the man with a desire of sympathy, to help the fallen when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-want-the-municipality-to-be-a-helping-hand-to-the-man-with-a-desire/) [John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“THE ESSENCE OF YOUR DESIRE IS A FEELING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-essence-of-your-desire-is-a-feeling/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [On the brink of being satiated, desire still appears infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/on-the-brink-of-being-satiated-desire-still-appears-infinite/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. 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