Daniel Defoe: Rich Man Honest
on Sunday, December 26, 2021Daniel Defoe Money Quote saying one with wealth has no need to cheat when it wouldn’t benefit his bottom line or he’s doubly dishonest. Daniel Defoe said:
“A rich man is an honest man — no thanks to him; for he would be a double knave, to cheat mankind when he had no need of it: he has no occasion to press upon his integrity, nor so much as to touch upon the borders of dishonesty” — Daniel Defoe
Share the Daniel Defoe Money quote image above on your site:
Short Link to this Quote:
This quote by Daniel Defoe suggests that a wealthy person has no need to act dishonestly or cheat others out of greed, since they are already rich. Defoe is saying that a rich person who cheats or acts dishonestly when they have no financial need to do so would be a “double knave” – dishonest both in cheating others and in doing so unnecessarily despite their wealth.
The quote implies that the rich have less temptation to compromise their integrity for money, since they already have money, so in that sense they may be considered more honest than someone who feels a strong financial pressure to act dishonestly.