"They say it is better to be poor and happy than rich and miserable, but how about a compromise like moderately rich and just moody?"
About this Quote
The subtext is sharper: Diana is describing the emotional economy of privilege, where material abundance can’t buy interior peace, but it can buy insulation. “Moderately rich” isn’t greed; it’s an admission that money can soften consequences even when it can’t fix the self. “Just moody” reads like self-deprecation, yet it also signals a refusal to perform gratitude on command - a quiet rebellion against the demand that the fortunate must be perpetually radiant.
Context matters: Diana was famously scrutinized, lonely, and trapped in a system that sold intimacy as spectacle. Humor becomes her pressure valve and her weapon. By choosing moodiness over misery, she’s not denying pain; she’s reclaiming control over how it’s narrated. The line lets her be human in a role designed to turn humans into symbols.
Quote Details
| Topic | Witty One-Liners |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Diana, Princess. (2026, January 15). They say it is better to be poor and happy than rich and miserable, but how about a compromise like moderately rich and just moody? FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/they-say-it-is-better-to-be-poor-and-happy-than-35718/
Chicago Style
Diana, Princess. "They say it is better to be poor and happy than rich and miserable, but how about a compromise like moderately rich and just moody?" FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/they-say-it-is-better-to-be-poor-and-happy-than-35718/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"They say it is better to be poor and happy than rich and miserable, but how about a compromise like moderately rich and just moody?" FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/they-say-it-is-better-to-be-poor-and-happy-than-35718/. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.











