@Porwest
more from that month
The War Cry Against The Rich
It is something one just gets used to. The rallying war cry against the rich as some evil force out to starve the poor and gain control and power over the common man. But it doesn't mean that just because one gets used to it that it makes it any less disconcerting or disheartening to hear the constant cry. Because when you happen to be rich, you know who you are, and who you are not. You know how you got there, and how you did not. You know what your intent is, and what it is not.
There are bad people in all walks of life. Rich or poor or middle class. It doesn't matter how much anyone has in their bank account. Penny *less* or penny *rich* doesn't define a person. I can no more sit here and make a blanket statement that anyone who is poor is uneducated and lazy than I can make a blanket statement that anyone who is rich is an unruly and unscrupulous tyrant wielding his mighty whip. In this world we all really need each other. We all have a place in this world, and we all have a role. *People* are important no matter what their financial status happens to be. We all also have to start somewhere. And for most of us that starting place is at the bottom. And most of us start exactly there. The thing that is often missed for some who stay at the bottom or who never get remotely close to the top is the opportunity we all have to succeed and rise with the tide, so to speak. Many people simply look at the rich and see the *now*. They see the riches that the rich have *today*. But they can't see where the rich came from or all of the struggles and sacrifices that they endured to get there. Do you want to know the truth? Getting rich is not easy. In fact, it's damn hard. It requires deep motivation. It requires tests, trials, and tribulations. It requires the ability to stomach enormous amounts of risk.
Luck can be a *part* of riches for some. But for the vast majority of the world's wealthy, it does not come easy. There is no luck at all involved in the process. My mother's uncle, Archie Meinerz, was a determined man. He and his brother inherited a dairy farm from his father, and Archie simply saw something his father did not. In fact, he also saw something his brother did not. And so he grew that farm, and he expanded it, and eventually started Meinerz Creamery. He grew it enough that when the big food company at the time, Beatrice, was fast growing, they bought the creamery and Archie became a very rich man. His brother bailed on the business long before Beatrice came along. He spent too much, and at some point he needed the money to sell off his share of the business more than he needed what that business would eventually become. Archie was willing to make the sacrifices, and take on the risk, and do the work while his brother chose instead to take the quick buck. Again, this is not to say that Archie's brother was lazy. It is simply to say that Archie's brother lacked the *vision*. He lacked realizing the *opportunity*. Nothing that Archie's brother failed to achieve was a product of the system. It was directly a product of the choices he made. And nothing of Archie's success or future riches was a product of thievery or greed or any desire to begrudge anyone. It was not his desire to amass great wealth just so that *he* could have more. His basis was the same as anyone else's who creates a business.
To provide something of *value* to people. Not take something away from them. I think a lot of the time we tend to forget what the rich actually provide to the world at large. We tend to forget the massive contribution they make to our lives, to the world, to the way we live, and even *how* we live. Nearly all of our creature comforts in life are because of the rich. The rich invent things, innovate things, produce things, and make the process of producing things more efficient so that more people can enjoy them. And when they create these things, businesses emerge. And businesses of course create jobs which allow us to feed our families and live our lives, and to *enjoy* our lives. What's more, those businesses are also open to the masses to participate in the success of them. Anyone can invest in these businesses. One does not need to be the captain of the ship to enjoy their ride on the boat, so to speak. But of course the captain will have better quarters. And if one has the vision, and realizes the opportunity, and puts in the hard work, takes on the risk, and makes certain sacrifices, it is not at all impossible for the rider to one day captain his own ship.
Rallying against the rich is not an honorable thing. It is simply a cry of envy and one's recognition and affirmation of defeat disguised by the definition of unfairness and a rigged system. The thing is that I know how I got what I have. I did not steal it from anyone. And I know what my intent is. To use my own wealth to provide an opportunity for others to also become wealthy Greed for me is not so much defined as simply wanting more. To me, greed is wanting more for nothing. Wanting more *just because*. Greed is wanting more at any cost, and at anyone's expense. Greed is not simply the desire to obtain wealth. As I made my own rise to the top, and as I have done throughout my life, I never once begrudged the wealthy of their riches. I asked questions, and I read their stories, I tried to understand their plight and their secrets, and I used all of what I learned to carve out my own path to my own goal that they were able to achieve. More than that I also continue to understand my position in the food chain. Am I rich like a Jeff Bezos? No. Am I a millionaire many times over? No. Am I wealthy? Sure. But even as I sit where I am, very comfortably, I also know why I am *not* a Jeff Bezos. I maintain an honesty with myself. I understand my own limitations and I understand the extent of the opportunities that I have capitalized on, and those that I missed.
I do not have a war cry against the rich. I respect them. I admire them. And I want to learn their secrets. And more than that, I also *appreciate* them. Not for what they can *give* me. But for what I can *learn* from them, and for the opportunities they offered me throughout my life to be at least a part of the club. An opportunity that would not exist if the rich did not exist to make it possible. *Lead image courtesy of Pixabay, user Maklay62.* *Money Dollars Success - Free photo on Pixabay* https://pixabay.com/photos/money-dollars-success-business-1428594/
22 comments
I want to be rich someday :/
Anything is possible. Study how the rich became rich, and voila! You are on your way. :)
> I do not have a war cry against the rich. I respect them. I admire them. And I want to learn their secrets. 100%. If we respect and not blinded by feelings of jealousy we will understand the risks the wealthy individuals have undertaken and then count our odds if we can also make it there.
My sentiments exactly. To me seeing the rich only serves to show me it is possible to become rich.
Reminded me of something I read before, I am not sure who was it, but he suggested we should not envy or plant any untoward feelings against the rich but learn from them instead. And I agree with you about greed. Wanting more is not all being greedy, but wanting more without doing anything or without costing you a thing is a real greed. I also think that rich people are the initiators of development, progress, industrialization etc.
Yep. Your latter statement is absolutely part of what I was driving at here. Many people even go to work and rail against the rich, without realizing they would not have a paycheck without them.
Funny but yes, that's absolutely right.
It's like you are admitting that you are wealthy 🙈 People should not envy the rich. Rather make them an inspiration to strive harder so they can reach what the rich had reached, so many reaches..🤣 Lol.
I can only say that I have done very well for myself over the years, for whatever that is worth. I am right there with you. LEARN from the rich and see their wealth as an opportunity for us all to achieve the same if we work hard and learn how to do it. Anyone can do it. Trust me. I know this first hand. ;)
If I am working for myself alone, I can call myself as rich enough.. Unfortunately, I am.not alone.. Lol
Becoming rich has nothing to do with how much you make, or if you are married or single, or if you have kids or don't. It is all about what you save and invest, and how frugal you are with your money. :)
Most poor people look at the rich and assume they are the cause of their problem, that they are one of the reasons why they are poor. Some even want the rich to share their wealth amongst the poor, the society is just full of messed up thoughts. Envy and jealousy is on the high, and most people are too lazy to put in the work to make it to the top
All very true. And it is never intended to make light of poor people or their situation. But in many cases, and again it depends on what country one lives, poverty is self-inflicted.
Being not rich is not the Rich's fault I agree, but I see few rich people in the world who enjoy daddy's money, showing off bullying people, those absolutely does not deserve one dime... I also dislike rich who started business to help the needy and provide employment but turned into sick capitalists when the money started to flow in... world hate rich because of these qualities, not because of jealousy.. there is difference
But of course very little of any of what you said is true. MOST rich are self made. They started out poor and became rich. Most rich ARE capitalists. But it is capitalism which MAKES people rich, and which gives EVERYONE the opportunity to become rich. The difference between the rich and the poor is who decides to take the opportunity and who decides to not take it. I often like to use an example of the different mindsets of the rich and the poor (and even the middle class). A CEO or businessman who makes millions of dollars a year essentially wins the lottery every single day he goes to work. But he keeps going to work. If a poor man or a middle class man wins the lottery what does he decide to do? Quit his job. It is this DRIVE that the rich have which is what separates them from the rest of us on the lower rungs. Everybody always says "we need to help the needy." That's what jobs do. Nobody GAVE the rich their money. They worked for it.
A bit of generalizing here.... one of my uncles won a lottery back in 70s and he did not quit his job of doing basic accountancy that paid him peanuts... he respectfully retired from that job in 2005 even though he had huge house from that money he won.... and my Mom's cousin who owns an entire street of houses stayed humble through out his life and still going to his work like he owns nothing... my point was NEVER about "how rich became rich and how poor became poor" :)))
"I've been rich and I've been poor. Rich is better." 😊 There's nothing WRONG with being rich. There's nothing WRONG with being poor. But Jesus painted a very graphic picture when He told the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. I thought it interesting that the poor man is named. He is identified and his name noted for future generations. But the rich man is just ... some cold-hearted guy with a lot of money. The moral of the story is plain. If you have been blessed with wealth, don't be like that "generic rich man". A rich person without human compassion is a spawn of Satan. 😊 😊
To me a poor man with no aspiration, no desire, and no attempt at being rich is just a lazy, poor man. I cannot condemn a poor man who is not rich who has TRIED to be rich. But I CAN and will condemn a poor man who does nothing to get there. At the same time I cannot and will not condemn a rich man for his wealth who has earned it. But I CAN condemn a rich man who has obtained his wealth with no regard for the contribution his wealth can MAKE for the poor.
Agreed. Basically it's not money that makes us who we are and builds our character.. But I don't think a person has to make an attempt to be rich. But they do have make an attempt not to be a deadbeat, a freeloader, and a burden to other people. Some people complain that they live from to paycheck to paycheck. I tell them: Yeah but ... you got a paycheck! By comparison. other folks don't have a paycheck and it's not because they can't work! It's because they won't work! You and I are saying the same thing. Nobody likes a deadbeat who won't carry their own weight; and nobody likes a person with wealth who tramples on others and disregards them as if they don't matter!
Still, living just paycheck to paycheck is a very problematic thing, as we learned the hard way when the pandemic hit and many people found their paychecks disappeared, tossing the burden of their lack of planning ahead on the shoulders of the rest of us who did. But I do encourage earning over freeloading. That aside, when you don't properly take care of your finances, and run into trouble, you BECOME a freeloader even if that was not the intent.
Everybody's life situation is different. Hard times can come upon in an instant. We can plan but we can't predict. What's that expression? “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” But the main thing is that people should make an effort to take care of themselves. When the pandemic hit a lot of people were upset because they had to get food from the food bank or charity. Hey! Life happens! P.S. Sorry if I seem be so chatty about this. I have been in all of these situations in my life. From well off to flat broke! But in every situation I always tried to work. I accepted charity if I needed it and was grateful. But as far as I'm concerned, if I can't be productive and work for myself, LIFE IS USELESS!!
No worries ever about being chatty with me. I enjoy that. 👍 On the other note, of course I am always one who tries to get people to think beyond a paycheck. In other words, there are many ways to make money. Investing is of course the one thing I espouse the most. Money makes money. I try to encourage people to understand that if they put just a little bit away into something that grows, it makes the value of every dollar they earn greater.