--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Never esteem people (including yourself)…" description: "\"Never esteem people (including yourself) more because they have money, nor think less of anyone (including yourself) because they lack it. Virtue is th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14c/william-penn-1104_character_never-esteem-people-including-yourself-m_2452478.png" --- # Never esteem people (including yourself) more because they… ![“Never esteem people (including yourself) more because they have money, nor think less of anyone (including yourself) because they lack it. Virtue is the only just reason for respecting anyone, lack of virtue the only reason for holding anyone in low regard.” quote by William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14c/william-penn-1104_character_never-esteem-people-including-yourself-m_2452478.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14c/william-penn-1104_character_never-esteem-people-including-yourself-m_2452478.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14c/william-penn-1104_character_never-esteem-people-including-yourself-m_2452478.png) > “Never esteem people (including yourself) more because they have money, nor think less of anyone (including yourself) because they lack it. Virtue is the only just reason for respecting anyone, lack of virtue the only reason for holding anyone in low regard.” [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Respect should be based on moral character, not wealth; virtue alone justifies esteem, while its absence justifies criticism. **In simple terms:** Respect is earned, not bought. Key Takeaway Judge people by character, not cash. Themes ethics social equality virtue Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - business negotiation - friendship - leadership - community building - family decisions Key Concepts philosophy morality social justice Questions to Reflect On - Can you think of a time when wealth misled your judgment? - How do you cultivate virtue in yourself? A Different Perspective Wealth can sometimes reflect hard work, complicating simple judgments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/esteem/) [Esteem People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/esteem-people-509157/) [Including](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/including/) [Lack Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lack-virtue-580868/) [Lows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lows/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Regard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regard/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [Virtue Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue-reason-580869/) ## Related quotes > [Austrian public-opinion pollsters recently reported that those held in highest esteem by most of the people interviewed are neither the great artists nor the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/austrian-public-opinion-pollsters-recently-reported-that-those-held/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Our sexuality is fundamental to who we are, surely the crux of this debate is whether or not we accord equal right and respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wollaston/our-sexuality-is-fundamental-to-who-we-are-surely-the-crux-of-this/) [Sarah Wollaston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wollaston/) > [“From the days of old, those who walk in the way have replaced those who deviate therefrom; those who lack virtue have fallen before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luo-guanzhong/from-the-days-of-old-those-who-walk-in-the-way-have-replaced-those/) [Luo Guanzhong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luo-guanzhong/) > [Your violent lack of virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-veil-brides/your-violent-lack-of-virtue/) [Black Veil Brides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-veil-brides/) > [All the gold upon the earth and all the gold beneath it, does not compensate for lack of virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/all-the-gold-upon-the-earth-and-all-the-gold-beneath-it-does-not/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“A guy like Franz could talk smack all day about my Afro, my lack of brains, my mother, her alleged lack of virtue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-samuelsson/a-guy-like-franz-could-talk-smack-all-day-about-my-afro-my-lack-of/) [Marcus Samuelsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-samuelsson/) > [Believe me, if you sprinkle yourself with doubt and low self-esteem people will know exactly what ingredients your made of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/believe-me-if-you-sprinkle-yourself-with-doubt-and-low-self-esteem/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Fake people have a hard time attaching themselves to people who have good self-esteem. Because people who feel good about themselves won't put up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fake-people-have-a-hard-time-attaching-themselves-to-people-who-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“What a strange revelation of self-esteem it is when people only love those who think and feel as they do - an extension of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freya-stark/what-a-strange-revelation-of-self-esteem-it-is-when-people-only-love/) [Freya Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freya-stark/) > [What is virtue? Reason in practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-chenier/what-is-virtue-reason-in-practice/) [Joseph Chenier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-chenier/) > [What is virtue? reason put into practice: -talent? reason expressed with brilliance: -soul? reason delicately put forth; and genius is sublime reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andr-ch-nier/what-is-virtue-reason-put-into-practice-talent-reason-expressed-with/) [Andre Chenier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andr-ch-nier/) > [High self esteem people can surely be knocked down by an excess of troubles, but they are quickerto pick themselves up again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/high-self-esteem-people-can-surely-be-knocked-down-by-an-excess-of/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [As the rays of the sun, notwithstanding their velocity, injure not the eye, by reason of their minuteness, so the attacks of envy, notwithstanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/as-the-rays-of-the-sun-notwithstanding-their-velocity-injure-not-the/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [True courage is not the brutal force of vulgar heroes, but the firm resolve of virtue and reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/true-courage-is-not-the-brutal-force-of-vulgar-heroes-but-the-firm/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [“People who give away possessions hold their remaining possessions in higher esteem. People who give their time make better use of their remaining time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-becker/people-who-give-away-possessions-hold-their-remaining-possessions-in/) [Joshua Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-becker/) ## More by William Penn > [Love grows. Lust wastes by Enjoyment, and the Reason is, that one springs from an Union of Souls, and the other from an Union…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/love-grows-lust-wastes-by-enjoyment-and-the-reason-is-that-one/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [Once you've accumulated sufficient knowledge to get by, you're too old to remember it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/once-you-ve-accumulated-sufficient-knowledge-to-get-by-you-re-too-old/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [If thou wouldn't conquer thy weakness thou must not gratify it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/if-thou-wouldn-t-conquer-thy-weakness-thou-must-not-gratify-it/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [Religion is the fear of God, and its demonstration good works; and faith is the root of both: For without faith we cannot please…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/religion-is-the-fear-of-god-and-its-demonstration-good-works-and/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [All excess is ill; but drunkenness is of the worst sort. 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Those who will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/if-thou-wouldst-rule-well-thou-must-rule-for-god-and-to-do-that-thou/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [In the rush and noise of life, as you have intervals, step home within yourselves and be still. 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