I have observed that the wealthy feel sorry for themselves a great deal.

VintageBetter

Senior Member
It's almost an established hobby with some of them, this chronic self-pity.

What do you think?
 

I was at a fancy wedding shower years ago and the subject turned to purses. One woman bewailed that her husband wouldn't let her buy the $3500 version of a certain brand; he felt the $2500 version was adequate.

OMG! The sympathy that was dispensed. How could he be so cheap???? Why couldn't he understand??? Men just don't understand purses!!!!

I sat there quietly with my $19 purse from Ross that I thought was quite nice. Also wearing a pair of shoes that I had probably spent $12 on at Ross, too. We didn't get into the $1000 shoe discussion, thank goodness.

Yes, I do believe the "wealthy" quite often lose track of reality.
 
One thing to keep in mind.....
- There are a lot of folks whose "wealth" is only on the surface. Behind that expensive handbag could be a mountain of debt, or perhaps nothing of substance.

- I also know a few people whose net worth is 2-4 million. The guys wear jeans, drive nice but modest vehicles, eat at regular places, and take vacations to regular spots of interest. Here in Texas, this is not all that uncommon.

FYI, I know what I'm talking about. I spent 8 years as a loan officer for my Companies credit union here in the greater Houston area. Looking at literally hundreds of loan applications and accounts, I got a real insight into who "had it" and who did not. Believe me, more than a few times I was greatly surprised!
 
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“Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me. They possess and enjoy early, and it does something to them, makes them soft where we are hard, and cynical where we are trustful, in a way that, unless you were born rich, it is very difficult to understand. They think, deep in their hearts, that they are better than we are because we had to discover the compensations and refuges of life for ourselves. Even when they enter deep into our world or sink below us, they still think that they are better than we

are. They are different. ”

― F. Scott Fitzgerald
 
There’s a lot of guilt among rich people due to their many faults. And they want to make up for their faults by making sure the middle class and below atones for the sins of the rich. Problem solved.
 
It's almost an established hobby with some of them, this chronic self-pity.

What do you think?
I have to disagree. Most of the wealthy and financially well off people I know lead nice lives. They are appreciative of their comforts, and most are generous with their resources and time. I'll add the caveat that I steer away from arrogant a-holes as a rule(rich or poor)so may be a bit biased in my social pool.

The group I hear expressing the most self pity are those who have failed to achieve. They didn't save for retirement, they didn't work hard, they lived beyond their means, never had a plan, never sacrificed to achieve a goal. They fail to recognize or admit how mistakes have cost them a comfortable life, so seek pity and ways to blame the world for their underachievments.
 
I think some rich people (like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett) are great philanthropists, but over on the early retirement forums there are so many rich people who avoid taxes, and I find that galling. I think Roth IRAs should be gotten rid of, they seem to be chiefly used as a way for rich people to avoid paying taxes and to get large healthcare subsidies.
 
I sat there quietly with my $19 purse from Ross that I thought was quite nice. Also wearing a pair of shoes that I had probably spent $12 on at Ross, too. We didn't get into the $1000 shoe discussion, thank goodness.

over the years i’ve bought much of my fine art at Ross lol & have bought way more than a few pairs of bargain shoes in there too😉
 
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Have to jump in again....
I've found a big difference in the ways of "rich people" that got that way thru inheritance or the like, versus those that worked to build up their "fortune". In general, the later are more generous, and can much more easily relate to the less fortunate. And they won't tell you (in words or deed) how rich they really are.
 
My brother is wealthy..through owning his own business and being good at what he did. He has helped me out a lot when needed.
BUT...much as I love my niece, Julie, she can act a bit entitled some times. She owns two homes, one up here one in Florida. Just got back from a trip to Italy (we are Italian, me half and she on both sides) BUT she will complain about "not having money for stuff". She was born into the wealth. Sigh. I wish I could just travel on a whim. To me, a big trip is the weekend one I am planning to Niagara Falls...about 60 miles from me
 
The thought is how many Sailing / motor yachts? How many private aircraft? How many huge Homes / mansions/ Ranches, Trucking lines, Power Stations, Sport Cars, RV's etc. would not exist without the generosity of the Wealthy. How many Jobs would cease if they were not insouciantly adding to their collections, be it Golf Clubs, Sports Ariena's, Housing districts, High Rise Buildings, foreign countries Climates, "Solid Gold", stuff, Platinum, etc.

Think of all the Car Collections, Motorcycles, Retro trucks & Buildings full of old stuff. Think of the hundreds of thousands just working at all that & for a living, for a retirement. Think of their "joy" of belong to the overly wealthy club and hanging out. All the people all over, they just doing what they wish them to do. ... Follow the ... "Art of Manipulation" ... ___ ... "Follow the Money Trail." Get invited along?
 
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Have to jump in again....
I've found a big difference in the ways of "rich people" that got that way thru inheritance or the like, versus those that worked to build up their "fortune". In general, the later are more generous, and can much more easily relate to the less fortunate. And they won't tell you (in words or deed) how rich they really are.
Yes, I agree with that.
 
My brother is wealthy..through owning his own business and being good at what he did. He has helped me out a lot when needed.
BUT...much as I love my niece, Julie, she can act a bit entitled some times. She owns two homes, one up here one in Florida. Just got back from a trip to Italy (we are Italian, me half and she on both sides) BUT she will complain about "not having money for stuff". She was born into the wealth. Sigh. I wish I could just travel on a whim. To me, a big trip is the weekend one I am planning to Niagara Falls...about 60 miles from me
And it will be just as wonderful!!
 


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