“Poor people are those who only work to try to keep an expensive lifestyle and always want more and more.”
- May 20, 1935 – May 13, 2025
- Uruguayan
- Politician, Former President of Uruguay, Former Guerrilla Fighter, Advocate for Simple Living
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Quote
“Poor people are those who only work to try to keep an expensive lifestyle and always want more and more.”
Explanation
In this quote, José Mujica challenges conventional definitions of poverty, shifting the focus from material scarcity to a state of mind and lifestyle dependency. He argues that those who sacrifice their time, freedom, and well-being in pursuit of luxury and constant accumulation—often under the illusion of success—are in fact experiencing a form of spiritual or existential poverty.
The phrase “always want more and more” reflects the insatiable nature of consumerism, where satisfaction is fleeting and identity becomes tied to consumption. Mujica’s definition of “poor” thus refers not to a lack of resources, but to a lack of fulfillment, simplicity, and contentment. This worldview reverses mainstream capitalist logic, which equates more with better, and instead advocates for a life rich in meaning rather than in possessions.
In modern society, where many work long hours to sustain appearances and accumulate goods, this quote is a wake-up call. Mujica invites us to reflect on what truly constitutes wealth—not salaries or luxury goods, but autonomy, inner peace, and time well spent. His message resonates deeply in an age marked by burnout and overconsumption, urging a redefinition of prosperity grounded in human dignity rather than material excess.
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