Rich VS Wealthy

O

old medic

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Do you see them as the same or different? If you're like me, richness doesn't equate to money, But then the question becomes how much $ is needed to be wealthy? I have seen friends and family fight and struggle through life, working for a future that never comes. Not enjoying the little things in life because they were working too hard for that future. I must admit to it, but I did some of the same things at times.
Years ago, I did a lot of property maintenance work for a man that was a multiple millionaire. He was the most miserable person I've ever dealt with. The other end of the spectrum was a lady down the road that had 3 sons I went to school with. They lived in a tiny trailer, surviving off their Dads SS death benefits and PT work. The daily love and happiness in that Home was absolutely infectious. There is nothing wrong with working hard for a good future, But remember to enjoy your life while doing it.

Yesterday is a cancelled check
Tomorrow is a Promissory note
Today is the only cash you have, spend it wisely.
 
Rich and wealthy are pretty much the same to me. Happy vs unhappy is a different story. You can be rich/wealthy and happy or unhappy. Or you can not be rich/wealthy and be happy or unhappy.
 
We used to live in Palatine, IL. A middle-class suburb of Chicago at the time. We'd take drives through Inverness and South Barrington. I used to work in Winnetka full-time. We literally never saw children playing outside in Inverness or Barrington. Armies of lawn care people, estates that seemed empty and sad to us. Christmas Decorations clearly compete with one another. I heard rumors of the high school kids in Barrington driving Porsche' to school, Mercedes whatever.

In Winnetka, I was the catering director booking parties and working with people on decorations, seating arrangement, menu, etc. I wouldn't say they were unkind, actually, they gave a lot of money to charities and hosted fundraisers. But they were reserved and unfriendly yet arrogant and annoying. I felt ignored about anything I had to say or suggest. I felt pushed aside most of the time. Maybe because I didn't come from a background like that. I worked there for a year or so. One can only take so much of that crap.

IMO these were low-class rich people competing with themselves. Very ugly. I'm sure there are wonderful billionaires who are down-to-earth and kind. I have no idea, I've never met one.
 
The words rich and wealthy are just qualitative labels that we arbitrarily assign. More importantly -

1) Do you have enough money to meet your needs?
2) Are you engaged in your life, and enjoying yourself?
 
To me:
Rich in money=Weatlhy
Rich in Life=Personal satisfaction, happiness with daily life, living life with gratitude and enjoyment
 
pacergal said:
To me:
Rich in money=Weatlhy
Rich in Life=Personal satisfaction, happiness with daily life, living life with gratitude and enjoyment
Click to expand...


Well said ^…. I had a huge house “on the hill” with a lot of acreage and my TC was significant but the those things didn’t make me happy at all because my personal family life (e.g. cheating ex-wife) was in chaos.
 
Rich - has a pile of new money. It's a new experience.
Wealthy - has a pile of old money. Grew up with it.

Happiness - Not related to rich / wealthy, I've seen lots of unhappy poor folks, constantly fretting over how to pay for this or that, or can't afford their important medicine, having to move again with clothes in garbage bags because someone tired of their mooching.

I've been happy when poor, and happy when rich, I prefer to be rich.
 
Definitions according to Google:

wealthy: having a great deal of money, resources, or assets; rich.
"the wealthy nations of the world"

rich: having a great deal of money or assets; wealthy.
"every day the gap between the rich and the poor widens"

Since each of these two words is defined in terms of the other word, I'd say the meanings are pretty much identical.

And personally I don't think either one equates to a certain amount of money. Peace of mind and happiness with one's situation, are more relevant IMO.

Like many of us, I know several families that are fighting over their family estates right now. The family members I would regard as rich or wealthy are not the ones with the most money; they are the ones who just refuse to fight and instead learn to enjoy life while living within their means.
 
Sunset said:
Rich - has a pile of new money. It's a new experience.
Wealthy - has a pile of old money. Grew up with it.

Happiness - Not related to rich / wealthy, I've seen lots of unhappy poor folks, constantly fretting over how to pay for this or that, or can't afford their important medicine, having to move again with clothes in garbage bags because someone tired of their mooching.

I've been happy when poor, and happy when rich, I prefer to be rich.
Click to expand...

I agree with this one. Ignoring dictionary definitions, The difference is between someone who strikes it "rich" and somebody who is "wealthy" from an inheritance. Earned vs inherited. Maybe not an official definition, but one that works for me.
 
Rich is a public comparison to other society members.

Wealthy is having more than enough for your personal lifestyle
 
Rich/wealthy is relative. If Gates/Buffet/Musk lost everything except for 1 or 2 million they would probably think the world had ended... OTOH, many folks here would probably think their ship had come in "for life" if they had 1 or 2 million.


And from their POV's, they are probably all correct.
 
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Our former governor of Mass, Bill Weld came from generational wealth.

He summed it up nicely: "The rich make money, the wealthy have money".

To me, you're rich as long as the big paycheck is coming in. You're wealthy if the money comes in whether you're alive or dead, or have been dead for decades.

It's the source of the income and the ability for it to be passed down that defines wealth vs rich, not how much.

Not sure what happiness/unhappiness has to do with either.

Half of my high school class were trust fund kids. Their families weren't rich, they were wealthy.
 
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It is all relative.
 
I think it's a singular vs. plural thing. You can be rich, which will make your family wealthy. Essentially they mean the same thing.
 
Rianne said:
We used to live in Palatine, IL. A middle-class suburb of Chicago at the time. We'd take drives through Inverness and South Barrington. I used to work in Winnetka full-time. We literally never saw children playing outside in Inverness or Barrington. Armies of lawn care people, estates that seemed empty and sad to us. Christmas Decorations clearly compete with one another. I heard rumors of the high school kids in Barrington driving Porsche' to school, Mercedes whatever.

In Winnetka, I was the catering director booking parties and working with people on decorations, seating arrangement, menu, etc. I wouldn't say they were unkind, actually, they gave a lot of money to charities and hosted fundraisers. But they were reserved and unfriendly yet arrogant and annoying. I felt ignored about anything I had to say or suggest. I felt pushed aside most of the time. Maybe because I didn't come from a background like that. I worked there for a year or so. One can only take so much of that crap.

IMO these were low-class rich people competing with themselves. Very ugly. I'm sure there are wonderful billionaires who are down-to-earth and kind. I have no idea, I've never met one.
Click to expand...

I read an article in the newspaper years back about a couple (both doctors) bought a home right next to the Barrington High School so that their child and some his/her friends would have a place to park their cars when they were in school. The school had limited student parking that required a permit. The article was something about the neighbors not liking it, maybe zoning issues, not sure.

I'm not sure if that was being rich or wealthy. It was stupid entitlement IMO.
 
aja8888 said:
Enough parking I presume? :LOL:
Click to expand...

No need. The limos would line up and drop them off. (just kidding) Private school, most of them were boarders.
 
My goal in life is to become a Wealthy Bastard.
So far, it looks like I'm succeeding...
 
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