Rags To Riches
Poor people are happier than rich people. This is a myth I grew up with. I guess that myth was stated because poor people wanted to feel better about themselves. I never heard rich people say that, but I didn't know any rich people.
Many movies have a rags to riches theme. The usual plot is that after becoming rich the poor person does not become happier. In some movies just the opposite becomes true. In the movie "Trading Places" the rich guy loses everything, becomes miserable and then get it all back and becomes even happier than he was when he was rich - only in the movies!
Of course, all of this is just fantasy. Given the choice, who would vote to be poor over being rich? It sucks to be poor. Life is much harder when you're poor. Life choices are much more difficult when you're poor. Rich people have a lot more going for them than poor people. Financial security is important to everyone. Living a life without financial security is scary.
Sooo, are rich people happier than poor people? The answer to that question is - it depends. If you've never been poor, how would you know the answer. How a poor person describes happiness is probably different than how a rich person describes happiness. Going from rags to riches depends on what a person decides to do with their new found wealth. Also, how a poor person describes rich might be different than how a rich person describes rich.
I believe there is something to be said for growing up poor and deciding what to do when you wind up with more money you thought you would ever have. Me personally, if I hit the lottery for many, many millions, my first thought would not be what new car I would buy, but what family/friend I would help out.
However, that being said, I have financial security in my life and only make decisions with my money that makes me happy. Who knows what I would spend my money on if I was dirt poor. In my first book, I wrote a line that stated, "at ten I was poor, but I was having fun." Today, reading about the struggles of really poor people, I realize I was never poor.
Yes, we didn't have much money, but we did have food to eat, air to breathe and shelter. Now I realize, there are many people who don't have enough food to eat and shelter. Rich to them is more about security than happiness. I can't even imagine what those people would do if they went from rags to riches. I can't even imagine what they would consider happiness.
As I always ask, "what about you?" Are you poor or rich? How do you define poor vs. rich? Are you happy with what you have? Would you be happier if you had more? What would you do if you had more?
Money is not the root of all evil. Money is all about choices. Nobody reading my blogs are really poor so It's important to think about if you are making the right choices. If your choices are making yourself and or others happier, those are the right choices.
