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To: nypokerface
I'd like to be a research subject on the question of wealth leading to unhappyness!
2 posted on 12/30/2003 8:45:54 AM PST by DB (©)
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To: DB
Once money problems are alleviated, people tend to examine other areas of their lives more closely.

I have been all over the scale from poor to comfortable and that was my experience. Once the money was more than adequate and we had acquired more luxuries, traveled, given wonderful gifts to others and no longer worried about bills week to week, we tended to concentrate more on our relationships w/others, for example.

Also, more money can mean you are now dealing w/hired help or less than satisfactory return on investment or more maintainance for items you didn't own before. This is especially irksome if you thought at one time that more money or financial security would make you completely happy.

One thing we found, after *making it* (relatively) sometime in our 40s, is that old friends from ones salad days who weren't as fortunate, will leave. People tend to think you are now superior to them or think you are and many friendships may wither. Relatives may be the worst offenders, here. If you are generous, people feel obligated and resentful. If you aren't generous *enough* by their standards, they feel slighted and resentful. Your opinions can be dismissed because, being affluent, you can be seen as not in touch. Others will often see you as *lucky* and ignore the work it took to reach whatever level you are at now.

In our case, we were hurt in both investment principle and earnings from 2000 thru 2002. Trust me, no one in our families had any sympathy. People will tend to accuse you of blowing it if you don't keep every dime no matter what or continue to earn well even in a poor economy.

It is luck when you make it and your fault when you don't.

Money solves some problems, but not all and brings its own problems that you never thought about prior.
3 posted on 12/30/2003 9:07:50 AM PST by reformedliberal
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