By David Bradshaw
IT WAS the 19th century British adventurer Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton who was the first to come up with the memorable line “Broke is a temporary condition, poor is a state of mind”.
Burton—according to his entry in Wikipedia—was an “explorer, writer, translator,
Fluent in more than 25 languages, he translated The Arabian Nights and the Kama Sutra.
What Burton’s financial situation was I have no idea, although I imagine that when he compared broke and poor he was speaking from experience.
The quote, incidentally, is often attributed to the American theatre and film producer Mike Todd, who went bankrupt several times. Todd is best known for his 1956 movie Around the World in 80 Days (which won an Academy Award for Best Picture) and as the third husband of Elizabeth Taylor: the only one she didn’t divorce. What he said was: “Being broke is a temporary situation. Being poor is a state of mind”. Burton was more succinct.
But to get back to the point, I know some people who very obviously think poor. They like eating out, but they eat only at inexpensive restaurants. Their idea of a holiday is a cheap package, a caravan, or even a tent.
I enjoy eating out too, but I don’t base my restaurant selection on price (maybe it’s my public relations background...). I judge eating places by the quality of the food, the service, and the atmosphere.
Some of the places I like are inexpensive, some are pricey. The only difference is that I’m more critical if a place that charges a lot doesn’t come up to scratch.
