The foundational principle in this verse is that hard work is to be preferred over a false image. Our society is full of encouragement for us to pursue a certain image or standard of living, even if it is far beyond our means. It is so easy to give ourselves over to image worship, where we are more concerned about how we are perceived, rather than who we really are. The root of this problem is pride. We let what people think of us, rule what we pursue. Solomon would warn us not to be fooled, a person who is not in the "in crowd" but is diligent in his responsibilities is better than a person who neglects his responsibilities in order to gain a superficial friendship.