Giving your son a skill is better than giving him one thousand pieces of gold.
About This Quote
Interpretation
This proverb contrasts a one-time transfer of wealth with the lasting value of education or practical training. Gold can be spent, stolen, or devalued, but a skill—literacy, a trade, a craft, or professional competence—travels with the person and can generate livelihood repeatedly. The saying also reflects a broader East Asian moral economy in which family duty includes preparing the next generation for self-reliance and social contribution, not merely providing material comfort. Read more broadly, it argues for investing in human capital over gifts: the best inheritance is capability, because it equips someone to adapt to changing circumstances and to create value for themselves and others.
Variations
Giving a man a skill is better than giving him a thousand pieces of gold.
Better to teach your son a skill than to give him a thousand pieces of gold.
Giving your child a skill is better than giving him a thousand pieces of gold.
