The True Rich Man In societal life, there are different classes, the opposite ones being the rich and the poor. However, there can also be thought of as the true rich man, a man who doesn’t sink into the habits of materialism. Thoreau is correct when he says, “A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.” Firstly, a man can become a true rich man when he can avoid materialism, the act of considering possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values. Materialism is very easy for a wealthy person to slip into, they start to buy with their money and quickly they become more obsessed with their things than with spiritual values. John Lennon stated this quote, ““If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace.” This quote says that if people could look more to a spiritual side that great things could be accomplished. People need to look more towards spiritual values then possessions. Secondly, people who are able to live without a lot of wants can be a true rich man, despite their wealth. Even the poor who can say that they don’t want something even when it is offered are spiritually rich. Lionel Shriver states this quote, “A lot of people get so hung up on what they can't have that they don't think for a second about whether they really want it.” This quote pertains more to the poor. The quote says that the poor gets caught up in wanting things. They want things because they can’t get afford them. So a poor person can be a true rich man as well by only wanting something they need.