The thing about philosophers is that they assume that virtue is a magnet for all good things - including wealth. Quite contrary to the most common lament among us mango people - that it is our virtue that is keeping us poor while the wicked flourish like a green bay tree. But then, come on, do you honestly expect to be taught in your childhood that the path to success is to rob your uncle blind? Of course, they will tell you the virtues of hard work etc. including the benefits of not coveting other people's wealth.
As Tiru does here:
Aranarindhu vekkha arivudaiyaar serum tiranarindhu thaane tiru - Tirukkural
The goddess of wealth comes voluntarily to he who righteously covets not the wealth of others - Loose Translation
Well, so there. If you covet someone else's wealth, you need to do all the hard yards yourself - of finding a way to lining your pockets with his wealth. If, on the other hand, you stay righteous, wealth automatically flows to you. Really? Seems more like the sort of thing you say to keep men righteous.
And yet...maybe it is not like the wealth will just flow your way. Generally, you tend to apply your abilities in the direction of your wishes. So, if you covet someone else's wealth, you will tend to apply your mind to finding ways and means to try to get some, if not all of it, for yourself. That, obviously, means that you'll succeed only when the other guy is more stupid than you and also has no wise advisers.
Whereas, instead of looking around to see whose wealth you can covet, you concentrate on how YOU can make wealth for yourself...then your abilities are applied in that direction. Quite naturally, you could make your success happen for yourself without necessarily picking someone else's pocket for it.
Oh, yes, you are right! Success is not certain and wealth may not automatically flow to you. Poets and, yes, philosophers do tend to hyperbole. But then, do you really know what the success rate is when you try the covetousness route...AND the success rate of evading capture thereafter which you do not need to worry about? Except, of course, if you evaded taxes on that wealth that you earned!
Covetousness may not necessarily REPEL wealth, repulsive though the character of the covetous man IS. But it certainly ensures that you lose your chance of succeeding legitimately.
