Who said “Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater. Possession pampers the mind;…”?

Verified

William Hazlitt. A published source records them saying or writing it.

Source"On the Conversations of Lords," New Monthly Magazine (April 1826)

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“Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater. Possession pampers the mind; privation trains and strengthens it.”
— William Hazlitt
Verified"On the Conversations of Lords," New Monthly Magazine (April 1826) · evidenceAdversity

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: "On the Conversations of Lords," New Monthly Magazine (April 1826).

APA

Hazlitt, W. (n.d.). Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater. Possession pampers the mind; privation trains and strengthens it. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/3577-prosperity-is-a-great-teacher-adversity-is-a/

MLA

Hazlitt, William. “Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater. Possession pampers the mind; privation trains and strengthens it.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/3577-prosperity-is-a-great-teacher-adversity-is-a/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Hazlitt, William. “Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater. Possession pampers the mind; privation trains and strengthens it.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/3577-prosperity-is-a-great-teacher-adversity-is-a/.

Related quotes

“Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above it.”
— Washington Irving
VerifiedA more extensive statement not found as such in this work is attributed to Irving in Elbert Hubbard's Scrap Book (1923) edited by Roycroft Shop · evidenceDetails & citeAdversity

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