proverb · Words worth keeping
Their folly pleads the privilege of wealth.
Their folly pleads the privilege of wealth.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Wealth can be invoked as an excuse for foolish conduct. The saying questions a privilege that lets material position substitute for accountability.
What the words are saying
Folly is imagined to plead a defence based on wealth rather than on the merits of the action. This can expose a double standard in who is permitted to act carelessly. It does not mean that every wealthy person behaves foolishly or that resources themselves are wrong. A useful reading identifies the actual conduct and asks whether the same standard would apply without the person’s material advantage.
Everyday example
An organisation applies its agreed rules to a major donor instead of excusing disruptive conduct because of the donation.
When to use it
Use it to question wealth used as a defence against fair criticism.
What it does not mean
Criticism should concern conduct, not a stereotype about people with money.
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
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1736 · Wealth
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English