Proverbial Resonance of the Rich and Poor

The Book of Proverbs in the Bible has a lot to say about rich and poor men. Here are a couple bites:

28:6 - Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity

than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.

I think it is sometimes a common misperception that poor men walk in integrity and rich men don't. This proverb is not saying that the poor are virtuous because they are poor and the rich are corrupt because they are rich. It's just saying, "walking in integrity is better than crookedness. And to make my point clear, poverty with integrity is better than crooked riches."

Here's what Confucius says on this matter:

Book IV.5 - The Master said, 'Wealth and high station are what men desire but unless I got them in the right way I would not remain in them. Poverty and low station are what men dislike, but even if I did not get them in the right way I would not try to escape from them.1

'If the gentleman forsakes benevolence, in what way can he make a name for himself? The gentleman never deserts benevolence, not even for as long as it takes to eat a meal. If he hurries and stumbles one may be sure that it is in benevolence that he does so.'

1. This sentence is most likely to be corrupt. The negative is probably an interpolation and the sentence should read: 'Poverty and low station are what men dislike, but if I got them in the right way I would not try to escape from them.'

[D.C. Lau trans.]

And a word to the wise on leading a nation fighting against poverty:

29:14 - If a king faithfully judges the poor,

his throne will be established forever.