proverb · Words worth keeping
Don’t work to get rich.
Don’t work to get rich.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The instruction rejects getting rich as the purpose of work. It questions making wealth accumulation the sole aim of effort.
Example
Someone considers whether a project’s purpose fits their values while still accounting for necessary income.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The wording does not specify a livelihood or reject every need for income. A qualified application can consider what value a task has beyond financial gain. It should not romanticise poverty, devalue fair pay or prescribe a person’s employment and financial choices.
When to use it
Use it to examine the aims of work alongside practical needs.
Keep in mind
It does not remove the need for income or establish a financial strategy.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown