My informant is a student who has very deep connections to her hispanic culture. She shared with me a proverb passed down to her from her mother. She also explained the meaning of the phrase to me, and what it meant.

Informant: A saying my mom says often is ” Lo que mas se presume, menos se tiene” Which translates to something like… The more you show off the less you have. ” She says it when ppl want to show off that they have a better car or a bigger party but maybe in reality theses ppl that show off feel depress and lonely”

Analysis:

My analysis of this proverb is that it is a direct moral lesson, to warn children against greed. The object is to instruct them to be happy with what they have, and not to desire for more then they have. In addition, it is also a warning that merely owning more possessions will not lead to happiness, but is just a substitute for it. Without meaningful companionship, it is extremely possibly in my view that someone may end up feeling unfulfilled.