Wow that article was awful. It just makes "average people" (whatever the fuck that's supposed to mean) look bad, evil, stupid, and that their situation is all their fault. Rich people (at least the jerks defined in this article) have no idea how hard "average people" work to earn a living, and how many of them DO try to rise, but fail because our society is set up that way. Ugh.
That's almost entirely how I think about money and my ambitions. I'm not really sorry about that. I realize that my success is built entirely on that of my parents, but they in turn have always been the same way. I think there's room to be a good, successful person, and to also be utterly ruthless about your money and goals. Look at Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. You don't have to be a corporate raider or look down on the impoverished to make a whole lot of money and do a lot of good things with it.
I really don't like the implication that "average people" are not rich because they're stupid. This implies that being rich is the only option in life, thus making rich people smart. That we are stupid if we don't strive to be rich. Believe it or or not though, there are many people in this world that don't care about being rich (gasp!). I know that's hard to fathom, but there are people that are fine with their average lifestyles and don't constantly fret about the millions they could be spending on cars and houses and parties, or whatever useless stuff most rich people blow their money on.
I simply don't care about making a lot of money. My goals in life are attainable and modest, so I won't ever need to be a dick to accomplish them.
I don't begrudge people who want to be rich and have a lot of expensive tastes, but I do believe that the vast majority of them will simply be constantly striving for something they will never get. I couldn't pick out who is gonna be rich and who isn't, though, so good luck if you do want to be rich!
I don't really care about being rich. I would be really happy on a $30k per annum salary. That's a stupid amount of money to me; I don't know what I'd do for myself with $10k let alone $30k. However, I realized a long time ago that money is the deciding factor in being the change you want to see in the world, what with the rise of SuperPACs, etc.
I don't care about rich, I care about making the world better. Money is how you do that. That's the reason Warren Buffet still drives a Volvo, while Mitt Romney owns 14 houses or whatever.
Let me clarify: I don't think people who aren't rich are "average" or "dumb," but I don't think being wealthy because you put your goals first is evil, either.
I don't really care about being rich. I would be really happy on a $30k per annum salary. That's a stupid amount of money to me; I don't know what I'd do for myself with $10k let alone $30k. However, I realized a long time ago that money is the deciding factor in being the change you want to see in the world, what with the rise of SuperPACs, etc.
I don't care about rich, I care about making the world better. Money is how you do that.
Think about tempering your desire to make the world a better place with the reality of your situation. If you can make a ton of money, then your goal is plausible. If not (like me), the goal is more reasonable if you limit the world to that which is directly around you.
For instance, I want to make the world a better place but I know I'll not be able to make that change globally or even nationally. The best I can do is be a good steward of the resources I have, speak up and be heard as much as possible, and work locally to improve my community.
I know! I do that right now, and it is fulfulling. But, I'd love to chuck a few million at lobbyists and get my voice heard directly by the idiots in congress. It's up for grabs whether or not I'll ever have that much money, but I'd like to.
EDIT: It occurs to me that Karl Rove and the Koch Brothers probably have the same goal, and that's distressing to me. Hopefully they repeal Citizens United, so I just blow all my money on comic books and vintage Twinkies.
I know! I do that right now, and it is fulfulling. But, I'd love to chuck a few million at lobbyists and get my voice heard directly by the idiots in congress. It's up for grabs whether or not I'll ever have that much money, but I'd like to.
I don't care about rich, I care about making the world better. Money is how you do that.
I completely agree. If only the human race wasn't so incredibly selfish though... Society praises spending money on expensive ridiculous (and usually useless) luxuries, but doesn't focus enough on using money for good. It has been drilled into our heads that we should always want more stuff. Even the most practical people get the "if I had a million dollars to spend on i-whosits and whatnots" daydream every once in a while. I guess in the end its less about the actual things being bought, and more about impressing each other and trying to be superior by showing off wealth? Sigh.. this money stuff makes me so angry. ;-;
I don't care about rich, I care about making the world better. Money is how you do that.
I completely agree. If only the human race wasn't so incredibly selfish though... Society praises spending money on expensive ridiculous (and usually useless) luxuries, but doesn't focus enough on using money for good.
I hate that shit. I'm more about spending my money on transient luxuries (food, liquor, games, travel) to enjoy with people I love and then saving/donating the rest. The dude who lives in a studio apartment and has $15m in a Cayman bank (actually a guy my friend knows, but that's a tangent) is the cool dude I aspire to be.
I know! I do that right now, and it is fulfulling. But, I'd love to chuck a few million at lobbyists and get my voice heard directly by the idiots in congress. It's up for grabs whether or not I'll ever have that much money, but I'd like to.
I hear that kidnapping also works.
Dohohoho.
This is going to get really ugly very fast regardless of how I voice these opinions, so I will state a few points and then bow out:
1) How wealthy or poor you are is not a sign of your inherent morality or intelligence. Those things are conveyed through how people act. Rush Limbaugh is a very wealthy sociopathic idiot. Warren Buffet is a charitable, likable bloke, despite his riches. There's gobs of brilliant PhD students living on pennies. I will probably be one of them, for a while.
2) The article neglects that so much of success and the celerity of its arrival depends on the resources available to you. These resources include things like your parents money, public school quality, and universal healthcare.
3) Fundamentally, I'd say it's smart to live within your means, but the article doesn't address that sometimes that is impossible.
I want enough money to do what I want without having to worry about money.
Yeah, this.
There's gobs of brilliant PhD students living on pennies. I will probably be one of them, for a while.
[The admonition of someone I admire]
You probably know my motivations better than anyone. You don't go for a PhD because money is your main motivation. ~_^
"Do what I want" varies person to person. I hope you do end up making that much money eventually. Just don't be so arrogant that you judge people based on your standard of "living a good life". It will not end well.
Well it's moreso incorrect. There are a lot of smart people that are really rich, but as the Real Housewives series can show us there are a lot of fucking stupid ass people who are also really rich.
The article provides no evidence to back up it's random rhetorical assertions. It doesn't even get me started on the conversation. I know people from all the far flung corners of rich to poor, poor to rich, rich to rich, poor to poor, stupid, smart, lucky, generous, selfish, whatever.
It's just pulpy gross oversimplifications of a thing. If you find yourself incredibly in support of such an article or incredibly enraged by such a thing: You're being fed to the trolls.
Comments
I don't begrudge people who want to be rich and have a lot of expensive tastes, but I do believe that the vast majority of them will simply be constantly striving for something they will never get. I couldn't pick out who is gonna be rich and who isn't, though, so good luck if you do want to be rich!
I don't care about rich, I care about making the world better. Money is how you do that. That's the reason Warren Buffet still drives a Volvo, while Mitt Romney owns 14 houses or whatever.
Let me clarify: I don't think people who aren't rich are "average" or "dumb," but I don't think being wealthy because you put your goals first is evil, either.
For instance, I want to make the world a better place but I know I'll not be able to make that change globally or even nationally. The best I can do is be a good steward of the resources I have, speak up and be heard as much as possible, and work locally to improve my community.
EDIT: It occurs to me that Karl Rove and the Koch Brothers probably have the same goal, and that's distressing to me. Hopefully they repeal Citizens United, so I just blow all my money on comic books and vintage Twinkies.
You don't need no stinking Kinect.
This is going to get really ugly very fast regardless of how I voice these opinions, so I will state a few points and then bow out:
1) How wealthy or poor you are is not a sign of your inherent morality or intelligence. Those things are conveyed through how people act. Rush Limbaugh is a very wealthy sociopathic idiot. Warren Buffet is a charitable, likable bloke, despite his riches. There's gobs of brilliant PhD students living on pennies. I will probably be one of them, for a while.
2) The article neglects that so much of success and the celerity of its arrival depends on the resources available to you. These resources include things like your parents money, public school quality, and universal healthcare.
3) Fundamentally, I'd say it's smart to live within your means, but the article doesn't address that sometimes that is impossible.
1. http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php
It's just pulpy gross oversimplifications of a thing. If you find yourself incredibly in support of such an article or incredibly enraged by such a thing: You're being fed to the trolls.