You must respect people, and you must respect money. My father

When Yaya Toure declared, “You must respect people, and you must respect money. My father said to me: ‘When you respect money, money will respect you,’” he was not merely recalling the wisdom of a parent, but giving voice to an ancient principle that governs both human relationships and the flow of fortune. His words echo like the proverbs of old, carrying both reverence for dignity and caution against carelessness. They remind us that the pillars of life — people and resources — must be treated with honor, lest they slip from our grasp.

The meaning of his statement rests on the duality of respect: toward others and toward wealth. To respect people is to honor their humanity, regardless of status, power, or station. It is to treat them not as tools or obstacles, but as souls equal to one’s own. To respect money is not to worship it, but to recognize its power, its limits, and the discipline it demands. Just as a warrior respects his blade — not clinging to it in greed, but caring for it in vigilance — so too must one treat wealth, lest folly and waste bring ruin.

The origin of such wisdom can be traced to the teachings of many cultures. In the Proverbs of Solomon it is written, “Honor the Lord with thy substance,” reminding us that wealth must be managed with reverence, not squandered. The Stoics taught that money was indifferent, yet its handling revealed the virtue or corruption of the soul. And in African traditions, where Yaya Toure’s roots lie, elders often taught that riches gained without discipline soon dissolve, but riches tended with care become the inheritance of generations. His father’s words, then, are not merely familial counsel but the distillation of ancestral wisdom.

History gives us countless examples. Consider the fall of Croesus, king of Lydia, whose fabled wealth made him proud, yet whose lack of restraint and humility led to his downfall before Cyrus the Great. He did not respect money, but believed it invincible, and thus money abandoned him. Contrast this with Mansa Musa of Mali, the wealthiest ruler of his age, who used his riches to build mosques, schools, and trade. His reverence for wealth, his careful stewardship of it, allowed his empire to flourish and his name to endure in honor. Here we see the truth of Toure’s father’s counsel: wealth is loyal only to those who treat it with balance and care.

Yet Toure binds respect for money with respect for people, and here lies the deeper wisdom. Wealth without humanity breeds tyranny; humanity without respect for resources falls into poverty. The true path is harmony: to manage money with care while never forgetting that its highest purpose is to serve life, to uplift communities, to bring dignity to oneself and others. When money becomes master rather than servant, it destroys; when it is respected and governed, it becomes a faithful ally.

The lesson, therefore, is plain: cultivate discipline with both relationships and wealth. Do not scorn money, for scorn leads to waste; do not idolize it, for idolatry leads to corruption. Treat it as one treats fire — powerful, dangerous, yet life-giving when controlled. And above all, remember that the respect you give to people is the measure of your true wealth, for coins and treasures vanish, but honor and love endure.

Practical actions must follow. Live with gratitude and humility toward those around you. Spend with wisdom, save with foresight, and give generously where giving brings life. Do not boast when wealth comes, nor despair when it goes, but remain steady, respectful, and disciplined. And in all dealings, let respect be your guide — for both people and money will “respect you” when you hold them in rightful honor.

Thus, Yaya Toure’s words, born of a father’s teaching, stand as a beacon across generations. They remind us that fortune is not luck alone, but stewardship; that dignity is not status alone, but reverence for others. May we carry this wisdom, that our lives be rich not only in coin, but in honor, harmony, and enduring respect.