Wealth is not character
Principle 44 from the Enchiridion
Name the advantage accurately without turning it into moral worth. More money or a stronger skill does not automatically make someone a better human being.
Original Passage
These reasonings are unconnected: "I am richer than you, therefore I am better"; "I am more eloquent than you, therefore I am better." The connection is rather this: "I am richer than you, therefore my property is greater than yours;" "I am more eloquent than you, therefore my style is better than yours." But you, after all, are neither property nor style.
Modern Interpretation
A common version of this is easy to recognize. Epictetus separates an external advantage from a person's moral worth. Having more money means having more money. Speaking more skillfully means having a stronger skill. Neither fact automatically makes someone a better human being.
This distinction protects us from arrogance when we have the advantage and from collapse when we do not. Wealth and skill can change. Their change does not automatically change the moral quality of the person.
In Practice
A common version of this is easy to recognize. At work, a colleague is better at presenting ideas and receives more praise. You begin to feel inferior as a person.
Your colleague may genuinely be the better presenter. You can learn from them without turning a difference in skill into proof that you are worth less.
Reflection Question
Which skill or possession do you tend to use as proof that one person is worth more than another?