4 ms·

The importance of money is a matter of perspective. Anyone that has the author's attitude toward money has never been poor. Ask a homeless person, or any of t

The importance of money is a matter of perspective. Anyone that has the author's attitude toward money has never been poor. Ask a homeless person, or any of the 50% of the US population that has a net worth of zero or less what their opinion on money is, and it will be markedly different than the author's. The opinion that money doesn't matter is a luxury that only the wealthy can afford.

yummyfajitas 13y ago
The author is from India. Based on that fact, there is a 95% chance that he lived most of his life in poverty comparable to the bottom 5% of Americans. See figure 7: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/IW3P/IB/2012/11/06/000158349_20121106085546/Rendered/PDF/wps6259.pdf http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServ... It's also worth noting that he's writing this from the perspective of a far more materialistic and status-based society than the US.
- hansy 13y ago
  I have grown up in a typical middle-class household where one is rightly nurtured into not being extravagant. I was taught to value money (which I thoroughly appreciate). Even though, in my childhood, I always got whatever I wanted, the truth is that I never wanted big, expensive toys. The author did not grow up in poverty.
  - yummyfajitas 13y ago
    Read the link I provided. India middle class < America poverty.
    - gress 13y ago
      That's laughable. It may be true purely from a global economic perspective where life is measured in dollars, but in quality of life and social terms it's absolutely false. India's middle class can typically own property and afford servants, and live a life that is far more pleasant than is available to those in poverty in the US.
    - dharmach 13y ago
      Poverty is not about who possesses more or less. It has more to do with how much you feel deprived, irrespective of how much you possess.
- downandout 13y ago
  He actually mentioned in the article that he grew up "middle class". I am aware that middle class in India may be different than in the US, but it is clear that he was never poor - going to bed hungry etc.
  - yummyfajitas 13y ago
    "Middle class" in India does not mean what you seem to think. The vast majority of middle class Indians are poorer than most Americans living in poverty. Read my link - 95% of Indians are poorer than the bottom 5% of Americans. Unless the author defines "middle class" as "top 2%", the fact that he grew up "middle class" is meaningless when comparing his lifestyle to an American one. A stat to illustrate the point - 1.8% of India (circa 2009) owns a car, likely one that would be too dangerous to sell in the US. For comparison, 25% of American households below the poverty line own 2 cars and 75% own one. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_vehicles_per_capita http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_vehicles_p... http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/h150-07.pdf http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/h150-07.pdf The bottom 50% of America you described, or even the bottom 5%, also does not go to bed hungry.
    - guard-of-terra 13y ago
      "Poorer" doesn't mean much. First of all, you should factor in purchasing power; second, constant expenses which are the killer. In most countries, especially poorer ones, you don't have to own a car to be in the middle class. Neither you have to pay for gas, car itself and parking/garage. You can realistically move by foot and/or mass transit. Disclaimer: I think I'm in top 5% in my country, probably earn more than USA median and I never had a car.
      - yummyfajitas 13y ago
        Clearly you still haven't read the link I provided, which provides numbers after adjusting for purchasing power. I'd provide you with more statistics showing how wealthy poor Americans are (http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/h150-07.pdf http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/h150-07.pdf), but clearly you aren't going to read any numbers. So instead, go watch about 4 minutes of Delhi Belly (good movie, BTW, vastly better than typical Bollywood crap) which always confuses first world types: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrJS6R-FT-o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrJS6R-FT-o (Sorry, couldn't find the whole scene in one video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3dkCVXcAVg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3dkCVXcAVg That's life for middle class professionals. (Admittedly, a group of non-misfits would have filled the buckets.)
Killah911 13y ago
Therein precisely is a HUGE problem. I was nearly homeless, then made more money than I could have ever imagined. I turned into a monster. 9 cars (yes, all for me) and other stupid crap that I'm ashamed even to recall now. Come to think of it, some of my buddies who made it out of the ghetto did the same thing, at first. It does take a while of being "secure" that the money isn't going to be taken away, before you start to think the way the author does. It's when you're surrounded by stuff and your life still feels empty. When you realize most the rappers were sellout pieces of garbage who, during the daytime socialize with the dentists they live next to if they can and rarely rap about how crappy a life surrounded with material wealth can also be. Fortunately, knowing a couple of billionaires helps. I sat down with one and expressed my frustration in how I felt and how I had slowly but surely become someone I never really aspired be. It was at this point in my life it suddenly hit me. I'd known this guy for a while and had never seen him flaunt his money like I did (and he had a lot more of it than me). Then he told me that money for him is a tool. If you start using it to become a "consumer", you become consumed by it. He is not just free to do whatever, because in some way that is selfish too. Rather he uses his money to help others and makes the most positive changes in the world that he can. I know that's true because it's not just his money but he actually devoted, the much more precious commodity, of time, to his philanthropic efforts. Efforts he started when he had money like me, except he decided early on to give his away rather than spend it on himself. It doesn't take a lot of money to be free. I live off less than a 1/3 of what I was before and have a few more in my family now (I was single before). I work with some amazing people and am trying to work on making things better for others on a daily basis. One non-profit I help out from time to time has been tackling the issue of homeless families (not substance abuse or psychiatric issue related, primarily economic issues), and not surprisingly, it's often about the parents' attitude towards money. It would be nice if they felt "secure" enough to understand that money won't buy happiness and were frugal by choice. It would really help if more people had the luxury to have the author's opinions, but thanks to culture/advertising or whatever, there's a large contingent of people who need to think about money differently but don't.
- onedev 13y ago
  I desperately want you to be Ghostface Killah. Fantastic story by the way. How did you acquire your wealth if you don't mind me asking?

yummyfajitas 13y ago

The author is from India. Based on that fact, there is a 95% chance that he lived most of his life in poverty comparable to the bottom 5% of Americans. See figure 7: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/IW3P/IB/2012/11/06/000158349_20121106085546/Rendered/PDF/wps6259.pdf http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServ... It's also worth noting that he's writing this from the perspective of a far more materialistic and status-based society than the US.

hansy 13y ago
I have grown up in a typical middle-class household where one is rightly nurtured into not being extravagant. I was taught to value money (which I thoroughly appreciate). Even though, in my childhood, I always got whatever I wanted, the truth is that I never wanted big, expensive toys. The author did not grow up in poverty.
- yummyfajitas 13y ago
  Read the link I provided. India middle class < America poverty.
  - gress 13y ago
    That's laughable. It may be true purely from a global economic perspective where life is measured in dollars, but in quality of life and social terms it's absolutely false. India's middle class can typically own property and afford servants, and live a life that is far more pleasant than is available to those in poverty in the US.
  - dharmach 13y ago
    Poverty is not about who possesses more or less. It has more to do with how much you feel deprived, irrespective of how much you possess.
downandout 13y ago
He actually mentioned in the article that he grew up "middle class". I am aware that middle class in India may be different than in the US, but it is clear that he was never poor - going to bed hungry etc.
- yummyfajitas 13y ago
  "Middle class" in India does not mean what you seem to think. The vast majority of middle class Indians are poorer than most Americans living in poverty. Read my link - 95% of Indians are poorer than the bottom 5% of Americans. Unless the author defines "middle class" as "top 2%", the fact that he grew up "middle class" is meaningless when comparing his lifestyle to an American one. A stat to illustrate the point - 1.8% of India (circa 2009) owns a car, likely one that would be too dangerous to sell in the US. For comparison, 25% of American households below the poverty line own 2 cars and 75% own one. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_vehicles_per_capita http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_vehicles_p... http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/h150-07.pdf http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/h150-07.pdf The bottom 50% of America you described, or even the bottom 5%, also does not go to bed hungry.
  - guard-of-terra 13y ago
    "Poorer" doesn't mean much. First of all, you should factor in purchasing power; second, constant expenses which are the killer. In most countries, especially poorer ones, you don't have to own a car to be in the middle class. Neither you have to pay for gas, car itself and parking/garage. You can realistically move by foot and/or mass transit. Disclaimer: I think I'm in top 5% in my country, probably earn more than USA median and I never had a car.
    - yummyfajitas 13y ago
      Clearly you still haven't read the link I provided, which provides numbers after adjusting for purchasing power. I'd provide you with more statistics showing how wealthy poor Americans are (http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/h150-07.pdf http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/h150-07.pdf), but clearly you aren't going to read any numbers. So instead, go watch about 4 minutes of Delhi Belly (good movie, BTW, vastly better than typical Bollywood crap) which always confuses first world types: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrJS6R-FT-o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrJS6R-FT-o (Sorry, couldn't find the whole scene in one video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3dkCVXcAVg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3dkCVXcAVg That's life for middle class professionals. (Admittedly, a group of non-misfits would have filled the buckets.)

Killah911 13y ago

Therein precisely is a HUGE problem. I was nearly homeless, then made more money than I could have ever imagined. I turned into a monster. 9 cars (yes, all for me) and other stupid crap that I'm ashamed even to recall now. Come to think of it, some of my buddies who made it out of the ghetto did the same thing, at first. It does take a while of being "secure" that the money isn't going to be taken away, before you start to think the way the author does. It's when you're surrounded by stuff and your life still feels empty. When you realize most the rappers were sellout pieces of garbage who, during the daytime socialize with the dentists they live next to if they can and rarely rap about how crappy a life surrounded with material wealth can also be. Fortunately, knowing a couple of billionaires helps. I sat down with one and expressed my frustration in how I felt and how I had slowly but surely become someone I never really aspired be. It was at this point in my life it suddenly hit me. I'd known this guy for a while and had never seen him flaunt his money like I did (and he had a lot more of it than me). Then he told me that money for him is a tool. If you start using it to become a "consumer", you become consumed by it. He is not just free to do whatever, because in some way that is selfish too. Rather he uses his money to help others and makes the most positive changes in the world that he can. I know that's true because it's not just his money but he actually devoted, the much more precious commodity, of time, to his philanthropic efforts. Efforts he started when he had money like me, except he decided early on to give his away rather than spend it on himself. It doesn't take a lot of money to be free. I live off less than a 1/3 of what I was before and have a few more in my family now (I was single before). I work with some amazing people and am trying to work on making things better for others on a daily basis. One non-profit I help out from time to time has been tackling the issue of homeless families (not substance abuse or psychiatric issue related, primarily economic issues), and not surprisingly, it's often about the parents' attitude towards money. It would be nice if they felt "secure" enough to understand that money won't buy happiness and were frugal by choice. It would really help if more people had the luxury to have the author's opinions, but thanks to culture/advertising or whatever, there's a large contingent of people who need to think about money differently but don't.

onedev 13y ago
I desperately want you to be Ghostface Killah. Fantastic story by the way. How did you acquire your wealth if you don't mind me asking?