Neither a borrower nor a lender be. Agree?

Good advice. Either way, you always get burned.

No, not really. I think the missing point is “wisdom”. If you’re smart about how much you borrow and how you pay it back, it is not an issue. Same with lending to others – you need to be smart about it.

If we didn’t have borrowing and lending, our civilization and our economy would be back in the stone ages.

I think Shakespeare wrote that with particular reference to the medieval money-lenders (mostly Jewish at that time, because they couldn’t hold other professions), who charged usurious fees for the loans.

Context is everything.

Totally and unarguably!

It certainly makes life less complicated.

I tend to be the lender – and that has helped a lot of people.
The borrowers are generally trustworthy and often return much more.in one way or another.
We all benefit.

If your power goes out I will gladly lend you my spare generator. It gets exercised and your food doesn’t spoil.

Don’t agree at all. Borrowing and lending indicate cooperation in a community (cue all the bitching about lending the neighbor the lawnmower…) in a spirit of openness and generosity. The concepts of borrowing and lending are based on free will without coercion.

It is subjective. Sometimes you need to borrow because you have no choice; in this case, given a choice, I would like to be the lender instead of the borrower. On the other hand, if you see someone in need, you have to help them by lending your excess resources. However, I would not like to be a lender, whose generosity is misused by people every now and then. So, in this context your question holds true to neither be a borrower in extreme need nor be a lender abused for his kindness.

I guess none of you have mortgages?

Money is debt. Capitalism is predicated on creating debt, and spending it continually. This flow of debt creation and spending has to be maintained for ‘economic growth’.

@Kropotkin, the saying was always presented to me in the context of personal interaction, not big picture Capitalism. I come from that perspective.
Context is all.

Very true when it involves family members. Whatever it is they want just give it to them if you can afford it with no strings attached.

Depends on what and who.

I’ve been both but I agree that neither is best and try to limit my participation in either.

@canidmajor You’re right, but then that would be boring and wouldn’t give me a chance to drop some anti-capitalist propaganda.

Agreed. I never borrow money and I don’t lend either. The exception would be family, but if I give, I give, and I don’t ask for it back.

100% agree!

@Kropotkin That kind of “economic growth” is what led to one inter-owned international network of banks having most of the wealth on the planet.

“Capitalism is predicated on creating debt, and spending it continually.”

Hopefully if we all strictly adhere to the OP’s admonition, we can collectively crush the cancer of crapitalism! ;-D

I disagree whole heartedly. I often lend things to, and borrow things from, good, reliable friends, and I myself am a good reliable friend.

I believe the premise is with regards to money. Large sums. If you lend something that is not dear nor precious to you, or borrow something trite or insignificant in value then that is fine. I do believe that was his intent.

I only lend things out that I wouldn’t miss if not returned.

Give your money to a friend, lose your money lose your friend.