Money often makes the man.
Meaning: Wealth grants influence and respect in society, shaping how others perceive and treat an individual.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
More proverbs about Human Nature
- Old men are twice children. — Aging reverses mental acuity and emotional control, returning people to childlike depende…
- Penny wise and pound foolish. — Obsessing over minor savings while making careless decisions about major expenses creates…
- Peril proves who dearly loves. — Danger reveals the depth of someone's affection through their willingness to sacrifice or…
- Foolish pity spoils a city. — Indiscriminate compassion toward the undeserving undermines social order and justice.
- Next to love, quietness. — Tranquility in relationships matters as deeply as affection itself; peace sustains bonds…
- Reckless youth makes rueful age. — Foolish choices made in youth create regret and hardship that haunts the rest of one's li…
From our idioms
- Ne pas tarir d'éloges — To praise someone endlessly.
- Qui trop embrasse mal étreint — Attempting too many things at once means doing none of them properly.
- Une éminence grise — The unofficial power behind a public figure.