"Neither great poverty nor great riches will hear reason"

Henry Fielding, with the claim that "Neither great poverty nor great riches will hear reason", underscores the powerful influence of extreme economic circumstances on human judgment. At its core, the statement reveals how both desperation and abundance can create barriers to rational thinking. For those mired in great poverty, the immediate struggle for survival often overshadows abstract arguments or logical considerations. Hunger, lack of shelter, and constant uncertainty intensify emotions, making reasonable deliberation secondary to urgent needs. When a person’s basic necessities are unfulfilled, concern for long-term outcomes or balanced decision-making can become a distant luxury.

Conversely, excessive wealth breeds its own form of unreason. A life saturated with riches provides a cushion from the consequences most people face, affording the rich the ability to ignore prudent cautions and constructive criticisms. Great riches can produce arrogance, entitlement, and a detachment from everyday realities. The very abundance of options and resources removes the incentive to listen to advice or consider alternative perspectives, since the wealthy may feel immune to the effects of their choices. Both the very poor and the extremely rich, therefore, are depicted as inhabiting an emotional and social landscape that distorts their capacity to accept rational advice.

Fielding’s observation also offers a subtle critique of social systems that allow such disparities to persist. By highlighting the shared lack of receptivity to reason at both extremes, he suggests that true wisdom is best nurtured in moderation: having enough to live securely but not so much as to become isolated from the concerns of others. This perspective aligns with longstanding philosophical traditions that value temperance and balance. Ultimately, Fielding’s words invite reflection on how our circumstances, especially those related to wealth and poverty, shape our openness to rational discourse, urging society to recognize and address the ways extremes can cloud judgment for anyone.