Quote by Denis Diderot

In any country where talent and virtue produce no advancement, money will be the national god. Its inhabitants will either have to possess money or make others believe that they do. Wealth will be the highest virtue, poverty the greatest vice. Those who have money will display it in every imaginable way. If their ostentation does not exceed their fortune, all will be well. But if their ostentation does exceed their fortune they will ruin themselves. In such a country, the greatest fortunes will vanish in the twinkling of an eye. Those who don't have money will ruin themselves with vain efforts to conceal their poverty. That is one kind of affluence: the outward sign of wealth for a small number, the mask of poverty for the majority, and a source of corruption for all.

Summary

This quote emphasizes the idea that in societies where merit and virtue are not rewarded, money becomes the ultimate pursuit. In such a society, individuals are either required to possess wealth or give the illusion that they do. The quote suggests that wealth becomes highly valued while poverty is condemned. Those who possess money will flaunt it, but if they go beyond their means, they will ultimately destroy themselves. Similarly, those without money will strive to hide their poverty, which leads to their downfall. In this context, affluence is portrayed as a surface-level display of wealth for a privileged few, a disguise of poverty for most, and a corrupting force for all.