5 ms·
Am I naive, or are these problems a degree easier to solve than problems of people who are not wealthy? Problem 1: Use your new-found time to work on projects.
by jfoster 11y ago
Am I naive, or are these problems a degree easier to solve than problems of people who are not wealthy?
Problem 1: Use your new-found time to work on projects. These could be new companies that grow your wealth, endeavours that seek to create a change that you care about, or doing things to help people that you care about. There are other alternatives, too. Joining investment groups. Taking holidays. Consulting.
Problem 2: For chance meetings, I can see how this is a problem, but if you primarily meet new people through existing social circles, that might mitigate this effect a bit. I don't have this problem, but I have noticed that I've made lots of great friends through existing friends.
Problem 3: Could you not hire someone (or a company) to manage this sort of thing? I realize plenty of oversight would still be prudent, but it should alleviate the stress of it somewhat. Diversity in investments should mitigate the risk of losing everything. Limiting investments to areas that are well understood might also be a good idea for avoiding tax surprises.
I agree that wealthy people will definitely still have life problems, but I'm still not convinced it has to be these ones. Forms of social isolation (eg. imbalance that notch mentioned) seem much more plausible and nowhere near as easily remedied.
- pikeymick 11y agoI think it's hard for those without these problems to truly understand the weight of getting out from underneath them. For example from the outside it's easy to say how someone who is poor could do something to lift themselves out of that state, but this wouldn't account for all the things working against someone who is poor. Naive might be a strong word for it, but it's always easy to say someone else's problems are good problems to have, or they have it easier, but as long as we're putting them on a spectrum and assigning value to their experience, we're not accounting for the struggle itself. It's not the value of the struggle that matters, it's that we all have struggles, and being able to find support for when we are struggling makes a HUGE quality of life difference. So many people in today's world want to deny others this experience, "you don't/didn't have it that hard, what are you complaining about. Man Up. Stop being a pussy... You're rich, what's the problem..." etc
- cryoshon 11y agoNot all struggles are created equal. Some struggles (like Notch's) are actually problems that people wish they could have. He doesn't have it hard, he's just not creative enough to enjoy his new life. I guess it's unfortunate he feels so awful, but if he can't find something fun and fulfilling to do while sitting on a pile of money, he has absolutely no right to complain-- an entire world is sitting out there, waiting for him to engage with.
- cryoshon 11y agoYes, they're infinitely easier. Unfortuantely, the human mind is super adaptable. Molehills become mountains, and, once conquered, the next steppe of the molehill becomes another mountain. And when you climb an actual mountain, and look down from the top? You're bored, because now you can't spend your time climbing.
- DonHopkins 11y agoHe should ask Jimmy Carter what to do with his life.