Be a slave Quote by William James
“It is true that so far as wealth gives time for ideal ends and exercise to ideal energies, wealth is better than poverty and ought to be chosen. But wealth does this in only a portion of the actual cases. Elsewhere the desire to gain wealth and the fear to lose it are our chief breeders of cowardice and propagators of corruption. There must be thousands of conjunctures in which a wealth-bound man must be a slave, whilst a man for whom poverty has no terrors becomes a freeman.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Will to Believe, William James, 1896
Wealth can enable noble pursuits but also breeds fear and corruption; poverty can free one from such constraints.
In simple terms: Wealth has pros and cons; poverty can bring freedom.
Key Takeaway
Balance material goals with ethical integrity.
Themes
wealth
poverty
ethics
corruption
freedom
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
analytical
When to use this quote
- career planning
- investment decisions
- public policy debates
- personal budgeting
Key Concepts
philosophy
psychology
economics
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you ensure wealth supports virtue?
- Can scarcity foster integrity?
A Different Perspective
Wealth does not guarantee moral behavior; poverty does not guarantee virtue.
