HighlanderNorth
Flashlight Enthusiast
This hasnt happened to me(yet), so I cant say for sure how it would effect me in the long term. I was born to a middle class family, and my father busted his butt at his job at a large multinational company to overcome his mostly useless bachelor's degree in "statistics", and it paid off eventually, as from the time I was 12 we kinda moved into the upper middle class bracket, then my parents divorced when I was like 14 in the 80's. His new wife's daughters got straight A's in school, compared with my lack of scholastic enthusiasm and rebelliousness/long hair, etc. Then he got transferred(again) back to NC, and then transferred back up here about 14 years ago. and now I've seen him 4 times in 24 years!
So he's got money now, and has had money for a long time, but I never see a penny of it, so I only get what I earn as far as income, no more, no less. But I see other people being spoiled rotten by their parents from an early age til their parents die and they inherit ALL the money. I stand to inherit squat pretty much...
I did go out with a girl in the 90's who's parents owned 2 large, local construction/masonry contracting companies. They are very well off, and owned their entire street, and all the houses on it! But although we got along good, I wasnt ready for marriage, and I wasnt very attracted to her, so I just wanted to be friends after a while, but she wanted to get married, so I broke it off. It was then that I realized that I couldve settled into a not-so-happy marriage for money, and been financially set for life, and for coming generations, but the whole idea of becoming a "gold digger" and pretending to love someone I didnt love, and deceiving someone for their money kinda makes me sick! It wouldnt be worth it. Yet so many people do it!:thumbsdow
But if I won the lottery(that I never play) and I became rich, I think I would be extremely happy in the short term because I could drive the cars I've always wanted to drive, own a mansion, etc. But with that comes all the negative attention, all the gold diggers, the fair weather friends, the moochers, and then I'd be hanging out with the other rich people, many of whom are douches. Plus you gotta hire accountants, lawyers for all the bogus lawsuits leveled against you, etc.
I really dont know if being rich makes rich people more or less happy than middle class people or even poorer people for that matter, as they dont have to worry about all the nonsense that goes along with it all. Plus, the gov't dependent dont have to work and yet get 100% support, a free home, free health care, free food, clothing, money, etc. They have zero responsibility and can sleep late every day! But that life leads to even more misery and failure, drugs, jail, dropping out of school, and its a perpetual cycle.
How do you think great wealth would effect you in the short and long term?
So he's got money now, and has had money for a long time, but I never see a penny of it, so I only get what I earn as far as income, no more, no less. But I see other people being spoiled rotten by their parents from an early age til their parents die and they inherit ALL the money. I stand to inherit squat pretty much...
I did go out with a girl in the 90's who's parents owned 2 large, local construction/masonry contracting companies. They are very well off, and owned their entire street, and all the houses on it! But although we got along good, I wasnt ready for marriage, and I wasnt very attracted to her, so I just wanted to be friends after a while, but she wanted to get married, so I broke it off. It was then that I realized that I couldve settled into a not-so-happy marriage for money, and been financially set for life, and for coming generations, but the whole idea of becoming a "gold digger" and pretending to love someone I didnt love, and deceiving someone for their money kinda makes me sick! It wouldnt be worth it. Yet so many people do it!:thumbsdow
But if I won the lottery(that I never play) and I became rich, I think I would be extremely happy in the short term because I could drive the cars I've always wanted to drive, own a mansion, etc. But with that comes all the negative attention, all the gold diggers, the fair weather friends, the moochers, and then I'd be hanging out with the other rich people, many of whom are douches. Plus you gotta hire accountants, lawyers for all the bogus lawsuits leveled against you, etc.
I really dont know if being rich makes rich people more or less happy than middle class people or even poorer people for that matter, as they dont have to worry about all the nonsense that goes along with it all. Plus, the gov't dependent dont have to work and yet get 100% support, a free home, free health care, free food, clothing, money, etc. They have zero responsibility and can sleep late every day! But that life leads to even more misery and failure, drugs, jail, dropping out of school, and its a perpetual cycle.
How do you think great wealth would effect you in the short and long term?