Part III, Chapter III: Of the Corruption of our Moral Sentiments, which is occasioned by this Disposition to admire the Rich and the Great, and to despise or neglect Persons of poor and mean Condition
Adam Smith
In an era when economic success and power often dictated one's value, Smith shifts focus to the inner life, emphasizing the moral poison of hatred and anger. The prevailing belief was that external wealth and status equated to moral worth, but Smith argued for the happiness of a "good mind"—one free from corrosive emotions. His words suggest that true contentment and moral health stem not from material wealth but from a clear and benevolent heart.