Principle 44 · from the Enchiridion
Wealth is not character
Wealth and skill are specific advantages. Neither tells you whether someone is honest, fair, or worth more as a person.
Source passage (English)
The passage is shown in English. The explanation and example below are modern interpretations for this site.
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.
What this means
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.
Use a comparison only for the question it can answer. A stronger presentation skill may tell you whom to learn from, while greater wealth may indicate different resources. Neither establishes who deserves more respect. You can acknowledge an advantage precisely without extending it into a judgment about the whole person.
An everyday example
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?