Friends are all broke!

Kneel in the presence of The Paragon!

There isn't anything complicated about wealth.

It's simply an indisputable law that anyone with less than (insert your name here) was just irresponsible, and anyone with more than (insert your name here) was just lucky. (insert your name here) alone represents the standard for hard work, diligence, virtue and wisdom.

What could be fairer or more self-evident than that?
 
We've had people we don't know all that well get upset when they found out we retired early. I guess that means they are no where close themselves to retiring early.

Our solution has been to hang out with people from the senior centers even though they are all older than us. They are all retired themselves so they kind of wonder about our ages but nobody is resentful about it. I think they kind of enjoy having some younger members.
 
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Mdlerth said:
There isn't anything complicated about wealth.

It's simply an indisputable law that anyone with less than (insert your name here) was just irresponsible, and anyone with more than (insert your name here) was just lucky. (insert your name here) alone represents the standard for hard work, diligence, virtue and wisdom.

What could be fairer or more self-evident than that?
Click to expand...

Heh heh!
 
brett said:
I snicker to myself when I hear the 'poor me' or the 'your so lucky' noise from folks who simply made bad financial decisions or ate themselves into poor health, diabetes etc.

Just more instances of people trying to blame others for their self inflicted problems.
Click to expand...

Some people will hate you because they see you enjoying the success they don't have from the work they haven't done.

UnrealizedPotential said:
But when it comes to siblings it just seems like if you have more money than them they want you to either suffer from guilt or displeasure or they want you to drown in the same suffering mode they are in.
Click to expand...

My wife's family is exactly like that. They all had a great relationship with my wife as long as they believed they had more than her (us). As soon as it was obvious that wasn't the case, the relationships deteriorated quickly. Just like kids, everyone is happy with their single scoop ice cream cone until they see their brother / sister with two scoops. Fortunately, I've reached a point in my life where I know there will always be someone else with more scoops of ice cream than me, so I'm grateful at this stage of my life to to have "enough".

Danmar said:
I have a different personality. Making people feel uncomfortable doesnt, in the long run, make me feel better.
Click to expand...

Well said, sir!
 
I have a couple of family members who liked to patronize me when I didn't have anything, and resented me after I acquired a bigger, nicer house. Remarks were passed about people who are "house-poor," have their "priorities" messed up, etc. They had no way of knowing we were not house-poor, since we were otherwise frugal, drove old cars and so on. We think they had just gotten comfortable with looking down on me, and resented not being able to do that any more.

Most of my family members are OK. They have enough for themselves, and don't care how much/little others have.


Snidely Whiplash said:
Some people will hate you because they see you enjoying the success they don't have from the work they haven't done.



My wife's family is exactly like that. They all had a great relationship with my wife as long as they believed they had more than her (us). As soon as it was obvious that wasn't the case, the relationships deteriorated quickly. Just like kids, everyone is happy with their single scoop ice cream cone until they see their brother / sister with two scoops. Fortunately, I've reached a point in my life where I know there will always be someone else with more scoops of ice cream than me, so I'm grateful at this stage of my life to to have "enough".



Well said, sir!
Click to expand...
 
frayne said:
+1 the birth lottery pretty much determines your starting point in life. Being born in the United States is definitely a big plus.
Click to expand...
I agree with this, anyone who was born in the United States was born on third base, whether they realize it or not.
 
JustCurious said:
Um, I wouldn't go that far. What about someone born in Afghanistan?
Click to expand...

Agreed, there are exceptions. As there are in the U.S. But in general and on average, residents of the northern hemisphere are immensely more affluent than those of the southern hemisphere.
 
jriemerm said:
Agreed, there are exceptions. As there are in the U.S. But in general and on average, residents of the northern hemisphere are immensely more affluent than those of the southern hemisphere.
Click to expand...
Really? According to Wikipedia, 90% of the world's population lives in the northern hemisphere.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Hemisphere

I would hardly say that 90% of the world's population was born on third base.
 
JustCurious said:
Really? According to Wikipedia, 90% of the world's population lives in the northern hemisphere.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Hemisphere

I would hardly say that 90% of the world's population was born on third base.
Click to expand...

Yes, really. "...in general and on average, residents of the northern hemisphere are immensely more affluent than those of the southern hemisphere."

Do you disagree?
 
jriemerm said:
Yes, really. "...in general and on average, residents of the northern hemisphere are immensely more affluent than those of the southern hemisphere."

Do you disagree?
Click to expand...

Probably would be easier to refer to first world countries, in order to be a bit more specific.
 
JustCurious said:
I disagree that 90% of the world's population was born on third base.
Click to expand...

It's true in exactly the same metaphorical, comparative sense that it's true of the United States, as in your original statement. Many Americans were not born on third base, but on average far more were than in poorer countries.
 
Amethyst said:
I have a couple of family members who liked to patronize me when I didn't have anything, and resented me after I acquired a bigger, nicer house.
Click to expand...

Nice to hear my wife isn't the only one having to deal with that. Its a real shame and I know it hurts my wife a lot.
 
I was lucky to be born in the right Country. So was one of my relatives.
My parents were poor and stayed poor, his parents made more and grew rich.
I went to College for 2 degrees, he partied and drank at College and dropped out.
I worked since age 16 at whatever job I could get, he got an inheritance, bought a car, and drank it away.
I traveled to wherever work was even if I had to go to another Country, he got his parents to buy him a house, and cars.
I retired with no pension of my own. He stopped working as a part-time security guard and lives off his Daddy's trust fund.

Yet some say I'm just lucky, but that is only part of the story as I made sure I worked hard at making my luck work whether it was good or bad luck.

My relative, was just plain lucky lucky lucky.
 
jriemerm said:
It's true in exactly the same metaphorical, comparative sense that it's true of the United States, as in your original statement. Many Americans were not born on third base, but on average far more were than in poorer countries.
Click to expand...
We are going to have to agree to disagree.
 
I think we have hit upon something here. In a lot of countries third base is missing. They don't have baseball. Japan has baseball and see how well they have done? We just got to start getting more people in more countries into baseball. Or maybe we should keep it quiet, and keep it to ourselves? I was in Germany last fall and saw a local Soccer Stadium. Yes they called it Soccer. I asked my German relatives about it, and they said that "soccer" was a cool sounding name, so some places they use it. My German relatives are big time into "soccer" and they watch American football too. And Germany is doing just fine. Go figure... :cool:
 
I go back and forth on this issue of “luck” vs “effort or smarts”. Clearly it has to be a combination of both. Lucky but no effort, perhaps not too successful. All the effort in the world without a little luck? Same thing. When I was a young “whipper snapper” I thought it was all my talent and effort that afforded me any success I was able to achieve. Now I’m not so sure. I think of the times when I just seemed to be at the right place at the right time or that chance meeting of the exec who became my mentor and helped me along, or the fact that the company I worked for was fabulously successful. Many more examples come to mind but you get my drift.

I also think of the long hours getting a relevant education despite significant discouragement from my family. And even longer hours establishing my career. Always taking the management view of things and eagerly accepting new responsibilities. All that talent.

Clearly it was a long complicated melding of the two effects. When I’m feeling humble I chalk it up to luck. When Im back to my “master of the universe” attitude, it’s all me. Since retiring 11 years ago, I’m mostly feeling humble. Not sure why?

Warning a bit of sarcastic humour coming.

There is quick way to know if it’s luck or effort. If the person has been more successful than you it must be luck. If the person has been less successful than you it’s probably due to bad choices or lack of effort.
 
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