57. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Contentment is wealth that does not diminish. [1]
[1] Contentment means that a man should remain satisfied with what he gets and should not complain if he gets less. If he is not so contented he will try to satisfy his greed by committing social crimes like misappropriation, cheating and deceiving others, because greed compels one to satisfy one’s wants by any means whatever. Then the satisfaction 0f one’s want opens the way for another want and as a man’s wants get satisfied his craving increases and he can never get rid of his needs or of dissatisfaction. This increasing dissatisfaction can be stopped only by contentment which makes a man carefree from all wants except the most essential ones. This is that everlasting wealth that gives satisfaction for good.
