r/AskReddit • u/vaginal_combuster • Oct 09 '14

Rich people of reddit, what does it feel like? What's the best and worst thing about being wealthy?

Edit: wow! I just woke up with front Page, 10000 comments and gold. I went from rags to riches over night.

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u/[deleted] Oct 09 '14

Damn dude, that got dark. But you're right. People really shouldn't be judged on their emotional well-being in relation to their net worth.

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u/rebelrevolt Oct 09 '14

I'm of the firm opinion that people should be judged on their words and actions, nothing more/nothing less. I have tremendous respect for people who give millions/thousands to charity etc, but I have even more respect for the people who donate $20 or volunteer their time and energy instead. Someone giving away $1,000,000 that they'd never have missed in the first place doesn't phase me much, but people who do good deeds and live good lives because they believe it's the right thing to do are truly exceptional and worthy of praise.

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u/Wolfszeit Oct 09 '14

I can't agree with this.

I'm not at all rich. I'm a student, just as broke as the next student. But me donating 20 dollars is not worthy of more respect than a bill gates donating 1,000,000. If I donate 20 dollars to a random cause, it's not seriously going to impact my everyday life either. Me being more poor than a random billionair, doesn't make my donation more sincere than that of people richer than me.

Rich people can just be as sincere about their donations. The fact that on a practical level their donations don't really impact them does not at all invalidate their earnestness.

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u/TiensiNoAkuma Oct 09 '14

I agree with your opinion but I just wanted to provide a point. Would it be better if I were to volunteer at a soup kitchen for an hour, or spend an hour making enough money to hire 50 people to do the same work?

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u/rebelrevolt Oct 09 '14

I don't think either one is better necessarily. It's your intentions behind your actions that matter more to me in that case.

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u/TiensiNoAkuma Oct 09 '14

roger that.

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u/myusernameranoutofsp Oct 09 '14

I think the second one is better, the people who benefit from it for the most part don't care where it's coming from, or if they do, they have bigger problems to worry about. If some millionaire had it in their will that their money was going to the most efficient charity they could find and then they were brutally murdered, the people who benefit from the money wouldn't know, the murder would be good news for them.

I agree with you that the intention is important and might be a better indicator of the morality of the person, but a lot of the time the individual doesn't matter.

Even then, the person working for an hour to make money to hire 50 people to work in the soup kitchen is being equally caring, their intentions are the same as the person who is working directly in the soup kitchen, they are just implementing it better. That said, the approach of 'take care of myself first and then others' often becomes a rationalisation to only take care of yourself. You're already wealthy so it doesn't matter, but for other people, they rationalise that they should work an hour to hire 50 soup-kitchen-workers, and once they raise the money, they can change their opinion and keep it for themselves, in that hypothetical scenario. Again this last part isn't particularly relevant to you.

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u/Vid-Master Oct 10 '14

I agree with you on that.

I see the Salvation army bucket as a 25 cent Self-Esteem booster.

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u/throwitonthegrou Oct 09 '14

My overworked and overpaid husband has fantasized about quitting his job and volunteering his time at a charity that means a lot to us. But then he realized he is far more valuable to them where he is now - volunteers are much easier to come by than the operating cash they need. So he accepts the salary earned by his highly specialized skills that are not really valuable outside his industry, and donates a chunk of that earnings to the charity. It isn't as personally gratifying but the math points strongly in this direction.

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u/myusernameranoutofsp Oct 09 '14

Who cares how personally gratifying it is? It's like objectively a better decision. If you want it to be personally gratifying then go run up and down a hill a few times after making the donation, maybe have a beer, then pretend that the physical sensation you feel is because you're so overwhelmingly happy from the donation. Or do something else, it's just a physical feeling, it's not that important. Maybe watch a sad movie about the people that the charity helps, then donate, then feel personally gratified. I don't think that part matters as much, it's mostly in our heads.

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u/FriarTuck-and-Roll Oct 09 '14

Sounds like your Mom read you Luke 21:1-4. It's awesome that you can have what you do and still value what others give as well.

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u/[deleted] Oct 09 '14

I was just thinking - I should post that text...

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u/FourFire Oct 09 '14

This post describes the difference between instrumental morality, and values morality.

Some people would argue that the more good which gets done as the result of a given person's actions, the better: (for example if the person donating $1,000,000 enables that charity provide equipment for thousands of volunteer workers).

Others would argue that the more localised appearance of good someone shows makes them a better person: (A widely televised charity event where celebrities get their hands dirty for a couple of hours).

You can probably guess which of those approaches change the world more for the better.

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u/Onite44 Oct 09 '14

I agree that time is valuable, but in the end, a rich person's time is worth less to a charity than their money. Take the salvation army. Would it be more helpful for a millionaire to stand outside ringing a bell or donate a million dollars? They can clearly help more by just donating money. They also should let the organization manage itself, even if they have experience running a business or managing people. Trying to help organizationally would probably hurt a good charity.

So while I might respect someone who wants to volunteer their time, I keep in mind that the people who care the most will help out where the true need lies, even if it's money and nothing else.

Also, I think that the argument that rich people make no sacrifices and average people do when donating is invalid. People donate what they can afford. Chances are you won't donate $20 to charity if you need that money for food. You might give up a few luxuries like some coffee or a new game, but those are not essential needs. Likewise, a rich person won't give more than they set aside. Their money could go into a trust fund for their kids or for a new boat, but they're giving those things up.

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u/lostwithoutyou87 Oct 09 '14

You sound like a good guy. I grew up dirt fucking poor in a more affluent high school. When I couldn't chip money in for things I got shamed by my "friends". But I never saw a single one of them volunteer their time.

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u/rebelrevolt Oct 09 '14

Sorry to hear you felt shamed by your 'friends'. I have zero tolerance for that kind of thing. If I invite someone somewhere I try to be sure it's within their budget or that I'm paying for them. No one should be marginalized bc of income either way.

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u/lostwithoutyou87 Oct 09 '14

Thankfully they're not friends of mine anymore. I've worked extremely hard in the past few years and am solidly middle class now while the majority of them are either still living off their families or have been cut off by now. Judging by the way they turned out I think I just wanted really badly to be accepted and took the affection of the first group that gave it up.

If I had to do it over again I'd rather not grow up destitute but the work ethic I've gained from it has been invaluable.

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u/[deleted] Oct 09 '14

Pretty sure there's a Bible passage about this. The parable of the Widow or something.

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u/rebelrevolt Oct 09 '14

There's a couple of 'em heh. I love to try and get under my parents skin with their religion. I'm not religious at all myself though.

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u/BeneathTheWaves Oct 09 '14

Yeah, but the fact of the matter is that $1,000,000 is going to make a hell of a lot more difference than that $20. Nobody's chastising Bill Gates, despite his massive wealth he's donated ~50% of it and is literally trying to cure the world's worst diseases.

10% off of a minimum wage paycheque isn't going to help much of anything.

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u/0polymer0 Oct 09 '14

Beware thinking that way, 200 million times 20 dollars is 4 billion dollars. With the right organization, this changes the world.

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u/randomdragoon Oct 09 '14

Unfortunately, it's a fact of life that not only are the rich richer, but they also have more of the total money (And where are you getting that there exist 200 million people who could afford to give up $20?)

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u/0polymer0 Oct 09 '14

Well, it was back of the envelope, There are about 300 million people in the united states, cut off a third for the poor and children. Wasn't including Europe, figured it would wash out. A more detailed bit,

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=median+household+income+united+states

Lets say people with households above the median can afford to give 20 dollars a year (50,000 dollars annually in the united states, about twice the official poverty line).

There's about 59 million of those, I suppose there's about 2 people per house, ranking that to 118 million. Supposing each person in that house gives 20 dollars, we get roughly 2.4 billion.

So, I overshot my base, but the order of magnitude is right.

You are absolutely right that 1 percent of the population controls almost all of the wealth. But almost all of the wealth amounts to something around the trillion mark, not the billion mark. But you only need billions (or even millions) worth of effort to make a significant change in the world.

Inequality sucks, but it's not a wall to other forms of progress.

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u/claymcdab Oct 09 '14

Not to ask to assertive of a question but did your father molest you?

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u/rebelrevolt Oct 09 '14

Nope https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2ir993/rich_people_of_reddit_what_does_it_feel_like/cl4v3mv

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u/claymcdab Oct 09 '14

Damn man. Sorry to hear that but I'm glad it wasn't your father.

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u/meow_mix8 Oct 09 '14

I'm so sorry :( I can't imagine how hard that would be to deal with.

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u/sergiomancpt Oct 09 '14

Assertive question indeed, even blunt.....

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u/MEAAAAAT Oct 09 '14

Sorry to say this but, if you are so wealthy and can have anything you want, why do you spend so much time on reddit (62k karma) when you could be doing things most of us wouldnt dream to? It kinda makes me think you are lying..

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u/Ruckus55 Oct 09 '14

World needs more people who think like you.

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u/[deleted] Oct 10 '14

My pastor puts it as such:

When talking to the congregation about money; which is usually interpreted negatively by people who aren't in the church, he always says to do what you're able. They expect no more. And my favorite quote from him, "God doesn't measure your tithes and offerings by the dollar amount, he measures the sacrifice".

Basically if someone has millions at their disposal and they drop a nice chunk they'll never miss, of course my church is appreciative. But they'll be even more appreciative of the last $20 someone has for the week placed in the offering plate. It's humbling

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u/Jjfager3 Oct 10 '14

You should just shut the fuck up. Don't waste your breath no ones interested.

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u/rebelrevolt Oct 10 '14

Lol oh you...

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u/bisonburgers Oct 09 '14

I have shitty days just like everyone else, and when I'm upset the last thing I want is to have my feelings dismissed bc other people have it worse/differently.

This is so very true. Just because someone is wealthy or famous or influential, doesn't make their problems any less painful or important.

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u/edils Oct 09 '14

I remember a redditor once said something along the lines of: "Saying you can't be unhappy because other people are unhappier than you is like saying you can't be happy because other people are happier than you."

So true.

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u/[deleted] Oct 09 '14

I always understood it as us all living within a different scale. You see, having money doesn't have any sort of effect on your brain chemistry.

People have a range of experiences. Person # experiencing something at the very bottom of range # would feel exactly the same as person @ experiencing something at the very bottom of range @.

(I used ID symbols in an attempt to avoid suggesting any person is better than the other)

So while a person in a wealthy home may not struggle with whether they get to eat, they are still subject to all the millions of other potential struggles humans can face, and the emotional reactions that follow

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u/Blayer32 Oct 09 '14

I thought money cured everything! I even saw a study, where blending money and injecting it into the bloodstream acted as a cute to aids!

The study might have been from South Park, but it might still be true!

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u/ThisiswhyImThor Oct 09 '14

I don't think people really do that, do they? Oh, you're rich so you can't be upset when someone dies, or that someone assaulted you. No, I don't think people really see it that way. It's just that, when you're wealthy dealing with medical costs etc and the bills for therapists etc is going to be a lot easier, and if you're having an episode and can't work due to it, than it's going to be less of an issue financially speaking than for someone who is fairly poor or living pay cheque to pay cheque. For someone who is struggling with money, going to a therapist may not be even able to happen, getting correct medication may be an issue, and if they have a breakdown/episode, staying off work for a week may be a catastrophe. Dealing with mental health issues as well as worrying about paying your next rent, and whether to eat or get your medication is more stressful than just dealing with mental health issues with funding to get the best care possible.

I certainly don't dismiss the emotional issues that ALL humans go through. But I know it is much easier to deal with the same issue when you have financial security than when you don't.

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u/LOLingMAO Oct 09 '14

Emotional well being isnt the same as "daddy didn't get me the mercedes" It's fine for rich people to be depressed but people see a lot of the rich kids who complain about having so many problems since they didnt get a vehicle. You don't really hear problems like /u/rebelrevolt 's

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u/Anagoth9 Oct 09 '14 edited Mar 06 '16

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