# What Wealth and True Wealth means in Dialogues

> Material wealth, power, and pleasure are contrasted with inner riches like virtue and wisdom; the wise man may possess external goods but does not depend on them, valuing only what cannot be lost.

## Explanation

Material wealth, power, and pleasure are contrasted with inner riches like virtue and wisdom; the wise man may possess external goods but does not depend on them, valuing only what cannot be lost.

External goods like children, office, and wealth are described as borrowed furniture, not true possessions, emphasizing the Stoic distinction between what is ours and what is lent.

Seneca argues that money causes strife and corruption, and that true wealth lies in virtue, not material riches.

Seneca argues that external goods like wealth and office are not true goods; the wise man holds them loosely and is not crushed when they are taken away.

True wealth is found in virtue and contemplation, not in material possessions or splendid buildings.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/dialogues_2_se/concepts/cos-wealth-and-true-wealth
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/dialogues_2_se
- All concepts: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/dialogues_2_se/concepts