proverb · Legacy record
If a rich man steals it is a mistake; if a poor man makes a mistake he has stolen.
If a rich man steals it is a mistake; if a poor man makes a mistake he has stolen.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying contrasts leniency toward a rich person’s theft with suspicion toward a poor person’s mistake. It exposes an unequal standard of judgment.
What the words are saying
The reversed labels make privilege and blame visible. A responsible interpretation criticises that double standard rather than endorsing either classification. Wealth does not determine guilt, and the supplied money-defines-everything gloss is broader than the contrast establishes. Actual conduct and fair evidence remain necessary.
Everyday example
A reviewer applies the same evidential standard to two cases instead of changing the accusation according to wealth.
When to use it
Use it to examine unequal treatment with the discriminatory viewpoint identified.
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What it does not mean
No guilt or innocence follows from income, and unequal treatment is not justified by the saying.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or 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
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 982; PDF page 137
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.