Anditisevenmoretothepointthatpropertynowbecomesthemosteasilyrecognisedevidenceofareputabledegreeofsuccessasdistinguishedfromheroicorsignalachievement。Itthereforebecomestheconventionalbasisofesteem。Itspossessioninsomeamountbecomesnecessaryinordertoanyreputablestandinginthecommunity。Itbecomesindispensabletoaccumulate，toacquireproperty，inordertoretainone’sgoodname。Whenaccumulatedgoodshaveinthiswayoncebecometheacceptedbadgeofefficiency，thepossessionofwealthpresentlyassumesthecharacterofanindependentanddefinitivebasisofesteem。Thepossessionofgoods，whetheracquiredaggressivelybyone’sownexertionorpassivelybytransmissionthroughinheritancefromothers，becomesaconventionalbasisofreputability。Thepossessionofwealth，whichwasattheoutsetvaluedsimplyasanevidenceofefficiency，becomes，inpopularapprehension，itselfameritoriousact。Wealthisnowitselfintrinsicallyhonourableandconfershonouronitspossessor。Byafurtherrefinement，wealthacquiredpassivelybytransmissionfromancestorsorotherantecedentspresentlybecomesevenmorehonorificthanwealthacquiredbythepossessor’sowneffort；butthisdistinctionbelongsatalaterstageintheevolutionofthepecuniarycultureandwillbespokenofinitsplace。
Prowessandexploitmaystillremainthebasisofawardofthehighestpopularesteem，althoughthepossessionofwealthhasbecomethebasisofcommonplacereputabilityandofablamelesssocialstanding。Thepredatoryinstinctandtheconsequentapprobationofpredatoryefficiencyaredeeplyingrainedinthehabitsofthoughtofthosepeopleswhohavepassedunderthedisciplineofaprotractedpredatoryculture。Accordingtopopularaward，thehighesthonourswithinhumanreachmay，evenyet，bethosegainedbyanunfoldingofextraordinarypredatoryefficiencyinwar，orbyaquasi-predatoryefficiencyinstatecraft；butforthepurposesofacommonplacedecentstandinginthecommunitythesemeansofreputehavebeenreplacedbytheacquisitionandaccumulationofgoods。Inordertostandwellintheeyesofthecommunity，itisnecessarytocomeuptoacertain，somewhatindefinite，conventionalstandardofwealth；
justasintheearlierpredatorystageitisnecessaryforthebarbarianmantocomeuptothetribe’sstandardofphysicalendurance，cunning，andskillatarms。Acertainstandardofwealthintheonecase，andofprowessintheother，isanecessaryconditionofreputability，andanythinginexcessofthisnormalamountismeritorious。
Thosemembersofthecommunitywhofallshortofthis，somewhatindefinite，normaldegreeofprowessorofpropertysufferintheesteemoftheirfellow-men；andconsequentlytheysufferalsointheirownesteem，sincetheusualbasisofself-respectistherespectaccordedbyone’sneighbours。Onlyindividualswithanaberranttemperamentcaninthelongrunretaintheirself-esteeminthefaceofthedisesteemoftheirfellows。Apparentexceptionstotherulearemetwith，especiallyamongpeoplewithstrongreligiousconvictions。Buttheseapparentexceptionsarescarcelyrealexceptions，sincesuchpersonscommonlyfallbackontheputativeapprobationofsomesupernaturalwitnessoftheirdeeds。
Sosoonasthepossessionofpropertybecomesthebasisofpopularesteem，therefore，itbecomesalsoarequisitetothecomplacencywhichwecallself-respect。Inanycommunitywheregoodsareheldinseveraltyitisnecessary，inordertohisownpeaceofmind，thatanindividualshouldpossessaslargeaportionofgoodsasotherswithwhomheisaccustomedtoclasshimself；anditisextremelygratifyingtopossesssomethingmorethanothers。Butasfastasapersonmakesnewacquisitions，andbecomesaccustomedtotheresultingnewstandardofwealth，thenewstandardforthwithceasestoaffordappreciablygreatersatisfactionthantheearlierstandarddid。Thetendencyinanycaseisconstantlytomakethepresentpecuniarystandardthepointofdepartureforafreshincreaseofwealth；andthisinturngivesrisetoanewstandardofsufficiencyandanewpecuniaryclassificationofone’sselfascomparedwithone’sneighbours。Sofarasconcernsthepresentquestion，theendsoughtbyaccumulationistorankhighincomparisonwiththerestofthecommunityinpointofpecuniarystrength。Solongasthecomparisonisdistinctlyunfavourabletohimself，thenormal，averageindividualwillliveinchronicdissatisfactionwithhispresentlot；andwhenhehasreachedwhatmaybecalledthenormalpecuniarystandardofthecommunity，orofhisclassinthecommunity，thischronicdissatisfactionwillgiveplacetoarestlessstrainingtoplaceawiderandever-wideningpecuniaryintervalbetweenhimselfandthisaveragestandard。Theinvidiouscomparisoncanneverbecomesofavourabletotheindividualmakingitthathewouldnotgladlyratehimselfstillhigherrelativelytohiscompetitorsinthestruggleforpecuniaryreputability。