Steadfast in Poverty, Courteous in Wealth
Zigong said, 'What about being poor without flattery and rich without arrogance?' The Master said, 'That is acceptable; but not as good as being poor yet joyful, and rich yet loving ritual and propriety.'
Zigong proposes a high standard—avoiding flattery in poverty and arrogance in wealth—but Confucius pushes higher: the truly excellent person finds joy even in poverty and maintains gracious propriety even in wealth. The first level avoids vices; the second cultivates virtues. Confucius consistently teaches that material circumstances need not determine moral quality.