Personal relations are the important thing for ever and ever, and not this outer life of telegrams and anger.
E. M. ForsterRead
To trust people is a luxury in which only the wealthy can indulge; the poor cannot afford it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Trusting others is often seen as a privilege that those with financial stability can afford, while those in poverty may feel they must be more cautious.
E. M. Forster's quote explores the idea that trust is not merely a personal choice but can also be influenced by one's socio-economic status. The wealthy often have the resources and security to trust others without fear of significant loss, whereas those who are financially struggling may feel they cannot afford the vulnerability that comes with trust, as betrayal could lead to greater hardship.
Themes
TrustWealthRelationshipsVulnerabilitySocio-Economic
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about financial challenges, one might quote Forster to highlight how trust can be a privilege.
More from E. M. Forster
All quotes βA poem is true if it hangs together. Information points to something else. A poem points to nothing but itself.
E. M. ForsterRead
One must be fond of people and trust them if one is not to make a mess of life.
E. M. ForsterRead
Oxford is Oxford: not a mere receptacle for youth, like Cambridge. Perhaps it wants its inmates to love it rather than to love one another.
E. M. ForsterRead
The fact is we can only love what we know personally. And we cannot know much. In public affairs, in the rebuilding of civilization, something less dramatic and emotional is needed, namely tolerance.
E. M. ForsterRead
One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested.
E. M. ForsterRead
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