would you want to be rich?

[LadyBird84]

In a 'randomly won the lottery'-kind of way (which I don't play): Yes, I would. Would I want to have a lot of stuff and boss people around? Hell no. I don't want or need a lot of money (I realize part of that is my privilege). Most of that is a general dislike for capitalism and trying to participate more in circular economy. I feel like if I had more money I could make more of a difference in the world. I'd probably quit my job and start a charity or something. And travel a lot. I do feel different from my friends in this way, as I view objects in a more practical way and don't really pay much attention to the aesthetics but instead more to how it was produced. (And they say I have no empathy. )

 

[Pats]

I've never been wealthy, but, as most people, always wanted to be.
Anywhere from enough to live comfortably to a Billion, thank you, doesn't matter.
I wanted that mansion and all that comes with it, servants, chauffeur, landscapers, and such when I
was young and still had my parents.
Why? Because even then my dream was to have a mansion in New Zealand away from everyone
and make it my own little world with everything I could want right there at home.

Well, I don't want that now that I am alone and older.
The money would still be just fine, but, only because I would like to now have a small place in the woods
away from everyone. People to help me physically do house chores, cook and clean.
I would get an RV big enough to be like a small home and travel the country. A Chauffeur to drive it
and someone to go with me for company. No agenda and no rush.

When the time comes I would need assisted living care, I would be able to have the finest and not
have to worry about paying for it.
I have no care about what's the style, the boasting or keeping up with anyone.
Just to be able to do as I want.

As far as managing money, the man I live with is wealthy and has no problems with financial headaches.
He has learned the ways to spread it around so to speak. Different investments and only keeps around
$50,000 in the bank for use.
Plus he takes most all of mine each month for rent and complains it can never be enough for my expense
of living there, but, he doesn't want to be alone and isn't ready to go into institutional living.
So to help with my expenses of living in the east wing, I help him with driving, housework, doctors, etc.
And I'm also there to scream at when he goes on a rant.
Many of you have heard me speak of this arrangement before.
Maybe this helps you understand why I am trying to hang in there.
He has no family and if I can endure being his caregiver without going totally nuts. Where there's a will... well, you know the rest.

He sounds like a miser.

 

[SusanLR]

He sounds like a miser.

Curmudgeon.

 

[Stardust Parade]

I'd like to have enough to be comfortable and not have to worry about money all the time. But super rich? No thanks.

 

[WildCat]

To an extent and to the point where things are steady going, yes. I'm not talking filthy billionaire rich here, as there's no way in hell I'd be able to manage or even live with that kind of money (let alone fully process the idea of having that kind of wealth). If that were the case - say the lottery for example, and there's plenty of tragic tales about lottery winners - I'd donate to charitable causes or other options to trim the wealth down quite a bit.

 

[Misery]

Back when we could get caller ID, 9 times out of 10, it just displayed the words "blocked call" and sometimes "out of area", even if the caller was standing on my front porch. Even if it actually identified the caller, you have to stop what you are doing every 5 minutes or in the middle of dinner or the wee hours of the night to look at it. Since I have few friends, all of whom prefer email and no family, other than a sociopathic sister-in-law, most of the calls are just annoying interuptions anyway. We've gotten to the point where we unplug the line at dinnertime and don't plug it in again until after we wake up the next morning. I'd like to get rid of it all together but if we disconnect our land line, then Frontier, the only phone/internet provider available out here, will double the price of our internet, so it's cheaper to keep both.

Well, unplugging it sure sounds like my sort of solution, I can say that much. I know I wouldnt want to be answering all those damn calls.


I usually deal with it by simply leaving the bloody phone in the car. Conveniently I just happen to be known for being really airheaded and forgetful. So "oops, yeah, I missed your call because the phone has been in the car for the last 8 days" doesnt seem too suspicious. Does get people to stop calling, though.

 

[Bronzelincolns]

I would absolutely love to be a multi-millionaire and not have to worry about finances for the rest of my life.

I would not buy a big house or a boat or plane or a fancy car. I honestly have no interest in such things.

i would get a really awesome computer rig, a car that isn't exactly a luxury car, but a car that gets good gas mileage, has good stereo sound, automatic everything and Bluetooth everything. something that wouldn't be too hard to fix myself.

i'd have a garage that had a hoist so i could work on my own vehicle. maybe buy one of those total gym things for my house.

the biggest thing for me would be not having to work a job.

 

[Mr Allen]

Yes, I'd like to have enough money to buy the stuff I want and need and not have to make do with living on government benefits (and being the butt of the Daily Fail's hatred as a result).

 

[Tom]

 

[Nihil]

I don't want to be rich, just financially secure. I've been in a mansion once that was rented out for a wedding. Totally wasn't my thing. By the way, that marriage only lasted three years or so.

 

[Dillon]

When I was younger I used to want all kinds of things such as a cool car, a big house and such just to make me feel good...but I find now that being rich is not all is crack up to be. I feel like you may have all this stuff in the world but are you truly happy? I believe having a passion or achieving your goals in life is way more important in life than earning a great salary in order to become rich to have all the things you want..
I live with a single mom who’s been unemployed for a few years now. She’s going back to school for a bachelors degree just to find work, not so much for the money and I can relate. Sure she wants a way to support herself and those around her even further than now but knowing what she strives to do defines her character more than just only caring about money. I’m the same way I want to find a career to study sharks but I don’t care about the pay just as long if it’s something I love doing and if I’m able to take care of myself in the long run financially.
I also believe you have to wait patiently for things know certain stuff you want don’t come quickly but they slowly come overtime and will turn out great. I don’t have a car because of financial situations and I’m 22 years old but I’m finally starting to work on getting me one during the winter season.

 

[Mary Terry]

I worked very hard for decades to become an attorney and was very successful at doing it. I appreciate that life has been good to me. We have no debt other than monthly utilities, insurance premiums, etc. and are able to pay cash for everything we want so we do not pay interest on anything. I am also frugal and non-materialistic. I don't care that I don't have the latest luxury vehicle, designer clothes, or eat caviar and prime rib every day. I like having my own chickens for eggs, a vegetable garden year round, fruit trees, and hubby shoots at least one deer each season on our land so I have clean, unadulterated venison. We have a lake on our property and I love to fish for bass and bream. I prefer to keep life simple.

I have learned that once you have wealth (which is always comparative), then you spend the rest of your life preventing other people from taking it away from you. People are resentful, envious, and manipulative and say stupid things to me like "you're so lucky to be a lawyer". No, I'm not "lucky". Rather, I worked my tail off and made many sacrifices to become a lawyer, and luck had nothing to do with it.

I have also learned that wealth does not make you happy. You must make yourself happy. My former law partner is a billionaire, literally, and one of the most unhappy persons I know. He's on his 5th marriage and his current trophy wife is a gold-digging airhead who must bore him to death because she is incapable of having an adult conversation with anyone. He once told me that living with her is like living with an immature teenager.

So, money does not buy happiness but it does provide security and freedom to pursue other goals.

 

[TempeFan]

This is a fun and enlightening topic Pats! It not only illustrates the difference between NT and Aspy, but adds insight to the nature vs nurture debate.

Whether you remember the old adage as lack of or love of money being the root of all evil, we process the concept of money very differently. All people know money is just a symbol with no intrinsic value. A Benjamin works as well as a Washington if you need an extra piece of toilet paper or to light a campfire.

Brains wired to see money as a scorecard to get social status use one flowchart:
Step 1. Lack of $ = Lack of social status ---->
Step 2. Striving to acquire $ ---->
Step 3. Making $ ---->
Step 4. Love of making more $ = more success and power but not happiness---->
Step 5. Return to step 2

Us on this thread view it as a sharable feast which gives the good stuff:
Step 1. Lack of $ = Unfulfilled needs ---->
Step 2. Striving to acquire $ ----> Return to step 1 until/unless society allows moving to Step 3
Step 3. Making enough $ ---->
Step 4. Options = Fulfillment of needs, love, charity, happiness, basic comforts, etc.

 

[tlc]

I'd like to have the security of getting the best healthcare I could. Dreams of being able to eat and process food like a normal human being. And never having to worry about money.

I wouldn't change much of anything about my life though. I am very happy when left alone to do the things I enjoy. I'd still drive 30 year old cars and fix them up myself. Still have the same clothes. Keep my same house I just worked so hard to get back. Maybe build up my shop better, but nothing more extravagant than most guys have. I've already got enough basses and amps to make me happy. I wouldn't want something I'd be afraid of scratching. My coworkers have said if I ever won the lottery, they would probably never know it.

I'd not want anybody to know either. Just secretly have it somewhere(s) for my own rainy day fund.

 

[TempeFan]

I'd like to have the security of getting the best healthcare I could. Dreams of being able to eat and process food like a normal human being. And never having to worry about money.

I wouldn't change much of anything about my life though.

Just like most of the responders to this thread, that's exactly what I want. On this planet, 100 million dollars would just about get me the last one out of the three. Not change much is exactly what I would want to do, as well. If I was rich and had a mansion, I would not move out of my home into a big empty house. I love my comfy little home and everything in it, wouldn't trade it.

The downside of seemingly unlimited funds and a big building, is that my spidey sense would kick in. Like the famous line from Spiderman's dead uncle, "With great power comes great responsibility." That would be my undoing. If I had access to such resources, I would be compelled to do the right thing, and make the world, or at least my little section of it, a better place. All the money and buildings in the world haven't done anything toward ending world hunger, stopping the hate and prejudice of the warmongers in power, cleaning up the planet or promoting peaceful solutions and acts of random kindness. Still, I would end up being myself and try to accomplish something worthwhile. I'd probably turn the building into a sanctuary for deserving animals or even people or perhaps into a lab to find cures for the rare diseases that the government and Big Pharma are profiteering by preventing. Unfortunately, as usual, my charitable contributions would probably be embezzled, wasted, destroyed and misdirected toward evil. Heavy sigh.

 

[guitarandtattoos]

No, People and love are more important than things. I'd want people to love me or be around me for me and not what I have, If I was rich though I would give to others and not look or seem rich. I'd anonymously do acts of charity to regular people you see in life.

 

[DCA]

I think I would much, much rather be happy than rich. Being rich is nice in that I wouldn't have to worry about money, but being rich for the sake of being rich has no appeal to me. I DO like my stuff, & I have lots of it. But I'd much rather fill my life with models of tanks, little soldiers & BOOKS especially, than with $100K Mercedes, gold watches or a trophy wife any time...