Who said “Wealth is an inborn attitude of mind, like poverty. The pauper who has made his pile may…”?

Verified

Jean Cocteau. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceLes Enfants Terribles translation by Rosamond Lehmann (1929)

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“Wealth is an inborn attitude of mind, like poverty. The pauper who has made his pile may flaunt his spoils, but cannot wear them plausibly.”
— Jean Cocteau
VerifiedLes Enfants Terribles translation by Rosamond Lehmann (1929) · evidenceWealth

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Les Enfants Terribles translation by Rosamond Lehmann (1929).

APA

Cocteau, J. (n.d.). Wealth is an inborn attitude of mind, like poverty. The pauper who has made his pile may flaunt his spoils, but cannot wear them plausibly. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/41867-wealth-is-an-inborn-attitude-of-mind-like/

MLA

Cocteau, Jean. “Wealth is an inborn attitude of mind, like poverty. The pauper who has made his pile may flaunt his spoils, but cannot wear them plausibly.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/41867-wealth-is-an-inborn-attitude-of-mind-like/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Cocteau, Jean. “Wealth is an inborn attitude of mind, like poverty. The pauper who has made his pile may flaunt his spoils, but cannot wear them plausibly.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/41867-wealth-is-an-inborn-attitude-of-mind-like/.

Related quotes

“That some should be rich, shows that others may become rich, and, hence, is just encouragement to industry and enterprise.”
— Abraham Lincoln
VerifiedReply to New York Workingmen's Democratic Republican Association (21 March 1864), Collected Works, Vol. 7, p. 259-260 1:566 · evidenceDetails & citeWealth

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