Meaning of “Do you ask what is the proper limit…”

Poverty is reframed as uncontrolled desire rather than a simple measure of possessions, making appetite itself central to the experience of not having enough.

The line challenges the assumption that a good life requires constant accumulation or ideal circumstances.

The dinner-party image recommends waiting for what comes in proper order instead of grabbing anxiously, turning restraint into a model for daily conduct.

Mortality is used to challenge postponement: limited time makes present conduct more important than fantasies of an indefinitely extended future.

The statement emphasizes how mental framing can alter the experience of circumstances, for good or ill.

The advice is not passivity; it is a call to stop fighting reality before deciding how to respond to it.