The scarcity mindset refers to the belief that life is a limited resource, with one person having only a share of the pie. This mindset is characterized by a lack of love, time, or money for everyone, and each thought and action is an opportunity for growth. To live an abundant life, it is essential to define your goals and vision, which can only be unlocked through an abundance mindset.
Embrace abundance in all aspects, including mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects, for a fulfilling life. Break down your abundance goals into small, manageable steps, each specific and actionable. Living in abundance means cultivating a mindset of “enough” and embracing all that you have.
To experience an abundant life, it is crucial to develop an abundance mindset first. This mindset allows individuals to create memorable moments that they can cherish forever. In an information-abundant landscape, people can accurately judge others’ reputations by researching only a fraction of available information.
Living an abundant life involves creating memorable moments that can be treasured forever. However, it is important to recognize that abundance exists for all, but we must develop an abundance mindset first.
In an information-abundant landscape, people can accurately judge the reputations of others by researching only a fraction of the available information. Lifestyles of Abundance offers a guide to living an abundant life, including tips on how to live a free life of freedom and how to achieve financial freedom.
Another aspect of abundance is poor management and favoritism, which can lead to a toxic environment. It is essential to recognize the importance of having enough money and addressing issues like poor management and favoritism in order to achieve abundance.
📹 Warren Buffett Brilliantly Explains Levels Of Wealth
More details: 1. To get free stocks, you need to open an account and make a small deposit. 2. No obligations whatsoever, just a …
Is an abundance mindset healthy?
The selection of abundance as a core value leads to a life of growth and positivity, which in turn attracts further abundance into one’s life. Furthermore, the act of giving back has been shown to have a positive impact on mental health and well-being, particularly when it involves assisting those in need.
What is the concept of abundance?
The term “abundance” refers to an abundance of resources, resources, and opportunities, often used interchangeably. Examples of abundance include a city with an abundance of fine restaurants, a plant known for its abundance of flowers, and a massive residence with an abundance of chandeliers. Climate change, such as heat waves and shifting weather patterns, is disrupting ecosystems that Indigenous hunters and fishermen have relied on for generations.
Effective grantmaking requires an abundance mindset and multi-year investments to create real, systemic change. A Stanford University alum enjoyed a renovation of his home, and the abundance of lighting attracted him to the home. These examples are compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word “abundance”. Any opinions expressed in these examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Is abundance good or bad?
Information abundance is a paradox, as it is detrimental to the average consumer but beneficial to a small number of conscious consumers. Average consumers are influenced by instinct, while the top consumers enjoy unlimited access to nutritious food and information. Health is a prime example of this paradox, with rising obesity rates and a growing number of people in great shape. Food abundance is another example of this paradox.
A Michigan coffee shop advertised a sugar-filled Red Bull Creme Freeze Smoothie, leading the customer to order a medium black coffee instead. This illustrates the paradoxical nature of abundance and the benefits it offers to a select few.
What does it mean to live in abundance?
The term “abundant life” originates from the Bible verse John 10:10b, which states that God is coming to provide life more abundantly. This concept contrasts with feelings of lack, emptiness, and dissatisfaction, which may motivate individuals to seek meaning and change in their lives. Oral Roberts, a prominent figure in the United States after World War II, championed the teachings of abundant life, emphasizing that God is a good God who wants to bless people spiritually, physically, and economically.
Abundant life begins with a new birth, relationship with God, motivations, and relationship with mankind. The process of Christian maturity involves learning to live abundantly, being cleansed from sin, and fighting spiritual battles. Christian salvation and maturity are not based on self-efforts but on believing in the redemption from sin through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. Through faith in divine agency and the Holy Spirit, God transforms a person’s desires to be more in conformity with God’s will.
In summary, the concept of “abundant life” is rooted in the Bible and emphasizes the importance of living abundantly, being cleansed from sin, and fighting spiritual battles.
Does abundance mean rich?
An abundance of something means having more than you need, often referring to positive qualities like love. It’s the opposite of scarcity, like a ton of cash or an abundance of friends. The term comes from the mid-14th century French, meaning “fullness, plenty”. In physics, it’s the ratio of the number of atoms of a specific isotope to the total number of isotopes present. The term comes from the Latin abundantia, meaning “fullness, plenty”.
What is the paradox of abundance?
The paradox of abundance posits that technological advancements may inflict substantial detriment upon a considerable proportion of the workforce, thereby endangering social welfare rather than scarcity.
What is the opposite of an abundance mindset?
A “mind over matter” mindset is a belief that there are enough resources for everyone, while a “scarcity mindset” believes resources are limited. While changing your perspective may not change the current realities of your life, it can change your behavior and ultimately improve your life. Stephen Covey, a renowned author, often uses the terms “abundance and scarcity mindset” in his book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. Changing your mindset can lead to better
decision-making and improved outcomes in life.
Is an abundance mindset biblical?
Generosity is a reflection of God’s nature, as He generously gives good things to His children out of His unlimited abundance. As Christian leaders, we must remember that our Heavenly Father is our provider and sustainer, providing all blessings in our lives. We must have an “abundance mindset” and trust God’s provision in our lives. By being generous to others, we demonstrate our trust in God and honor Him through our gift.
You cannot out-give God, as He will always re-supply the authentic giver with more to give. Trust that you have abundance right now and give freely and generously of your time, talent, and treasure with an abundance mindset. Generous giving is an exercise of faith that will stretch you, but it is not a transactional formula. It is a relational trust between a child and their Father, allowing them to imitate the Father through giving.
Is an abundance mindset good?
An abundance mindset represents a transformative approach to life that emphasizes the abundance of opportunities and blessings that are present in our environment. This approach has been demonstrated to result in increased levels of happiness, fulfillment, and peace of mind.
What is the opposite of abundance?
Abundance refers to having more than you need, often describing positive qualities like love. It is the opposite of scarcity, such as a ton of cash or an abundance of friends. The noun comes from the mid-14th century French, meaning “fullness, plenty”. Abundance is the property of a more than adequate quantity or supply, and can be overwhelming when it comes to scheduling or buying gifts.
📹 The Role of Wealth & Class in Lifestyle Content | Internet Analysis
Tiffany Ferguson (she/her), 25 years old, currently in NYC. Here on Tiffanyferg, my main series is called Internet Analysis, where I …
What they didn’t mention: Being rich gives you security, healthcare, and the freedom to work less and do more (be it travel, hobbies, culture, parenting, or anything else). It also allows you to provide all of that for the next generation. And on top of that it gives you power and influence over the people around you and the society you live in.
What does wealth give you 1. A comfortable life 2. A confidence 3. Choices 4. Better travels 5. No vulnerability 6. Less compromises 7. Less anxiety about debt 8. Better health care 9. Affordable justice 10. Safety and security 11. Freedom 12. More time 13. More opportunities (for business and fun) 14. Better life style 15. Overall better well being 16. Better education 17. Power, influence, social status 18. Better outlook on the future 19. Choosing who you want to be with 20. Less overall struggles especially if any issue or problem could be solved with money What it does not give you is 1. Health (but you can afford great healthcare) 2. Ethics (but you won’t “need” to steal, lie or cheat) 3. Love (but if you are wise you will know who to be with” 4. Big challenges that will give you the satisfaction of self growth (although you can set new bigger and better goals) Can you add to these two lists?
I use to want to be a millionaire and I guess I still do. I use to want to win the lottery. I received a large sum from my father and brother passing which sent me into a huge depression. I blew 100k on stupid shit and I spent mindlessly as if my poor quality habits were exaggerated. I realised I had absolutely no discipline, I had a lot of guilt, my ego was like a wild animal, I became out of control materialistic, shoppaholic. All my mental issues raised to the surface. Once I lost it all, I became scared of having money. So until that deprivation taught me how important money is and how to truly appreciate it, I disciplined myself, changed my foundations and studied money, became a minimalist and I choose wonderful experiences over stuff. Found a new respect for money and I became an emotionally stronger person. My spiritual wealth is greater.
Building wealth involves developing good habits like regularly putting money away in intervals for solid investments. The stock market has plenty of opportunities to earn which I myself took advantage of.. I made my first million from going diverse, mainly stocks, ETFs, coins and bonds. It’s a long term plan for me so I invest and re-invest with the help of my adviser Rita Wildrin Mora..it’s been a year of steady growth..
As Feynman indicated in his teachings, when you constrain so much the conditions to your question, you get the answer you want to hear. What a waste of a question. The best question is short and more humble. Perhaps – could you define wealth? Smart people always try to be smart. Humble folks want to learn from others at the expense of sounding or not sounding smart.
I guarantee you that Buffett’s not regularly eating cheap pizza and drinking beers like a college student… And most college students don’t get a occasionally have a wagyu at a fancy event. He definitely lives below his means, often eats McDonald’s, but I think there’s a disconnect between his view of his life and a college students. Lets also remember that Charlie Munger wanted to create a dorm room with no windows… I’m pretty sure Warren Buffett’s house has windows even if it’s not a giant mansion.
Its easy to make a hundred billion and then claim you live like a college student. You won’t struggle to buy a house like a student. You won’t lack job security like a student, you won’t work in a dead end job like many students, you will have better healthcare by FAR than a student. Give me a break.
Travel is a good indicator of wealth- level 1 foot level 2 bicycle level 3 automobile level 4 helicopter/private jet If you have a car, the make and model are irrelevant for functional utility. If you are on one level, getting to the next needs an order of magnitude more wealth. Unless that is possible, extra striving is for trivial gain at the cost of time (which you cannot buy).
The reason he didnt want to answer her until she elaborated further is because he understands that anyone who is wealthy is also rich under most common circumstances. Money is a tool that flows to those who will make the most use out of it hence people who are wealthy, because they value their wisdom, their health, their family, they think deeply about sense of meaning, having purpose, and how they perceive themselves not how the world perceives them.
I’d love to sit with Warren and have an intelligent conversation with him. I’ve followed him for many years and I love his wisdom. This is very rare with business owners who are in the game more for the money and not because they actually enjoy what they do. What a great organization to work for. Every business owner should learn about Warren Buffett and digest his insights.
To enhance our long-term investment mix and creating generational wealth, my partner and I are introducing a range of stocks and ETFs into our portfolio. We’ve committed $220k initially, with a particular emphasis on inflation-protected bonds and businesses demonstrating robust cash flows. I see potential for enduring growth in the current market, yet I’m also keen to explore strategies for generating short-term gains.
This article makes you think…Guys like this spend most of their time planning and saving, probably sacrificing most of their younger years/adulthood. Now that they’ve gotten to (what most people would consider) a great spot financially, and they’re a little older, all they say is money isn’t a big deal, and they’d trade their lives for health and youth. Father Time stops for no one!
The key thing that money can buy you is options and, by extension, freedom. If you are poor, your lack of means can often place you in suboptimal situations that can make you even poorer. The classic example is losing your job because you can’t get to work. And you can’t get to work because your car is broken and you can’t afford to get it fixed — or even afford an Uber. In contrast, a richer person might have several cars to choose from and can afford to get them fixed when they break down. So it is unthinkable they would lose their jobs for that reason. Or an even richer person might work but not even need to work. So they have the freedom to do exactly what they want to be doing. Meanwhile, poor people might be stuck at a job they hate. The list goes on.
Above all, being wealthy allows you to outsource the rather well-defined or even trivial of your worries away and frees up your time. It doesn’t buy you more time than everybody else has in their day, but it allows you to use all of that time the way you really wish to use it. Most people are worn down and out of mind capacity with all the things they have to do day to day so that they never get to stop and think – what do I really want to do?
I get that… i went from having 10k to my name to going to 100k in this year alone in the market. Not a dollar of that has been spent, all of it reinvented and not single aspect of life has changed except ive found myself donating time and alot more then normal to charities. Besides that my way of living not single thing has changed.
Financial Wealth is how much income you have to freely live the life you wish to live. Wealth is when you receive an income from investments. You can’t really pursue your purpose until you can dedicate 100% of yourself to your purpose. You can’t do that while working mundane tasks for another person or company.
Being rich and wealthy brings fast amounts of choices, opportunities, and financial freedom. it does not buy health or love; we all have the same 24-hour clock in life the way to live life every day is to have gratitude and fill it with joy happiness kindness love and with positive energy .We are only time Lords just passing through time hear today gone tomorrow. Time is precious, and you can’t buy it back
Simple explanation being rich your finances can be spent in one or two generations. Being wealthy equates to owning enough income producing assets that even with some poor management over a few generations the principle of the assets will still produce enough income to sustain generations and charitable contributions.
If you live a good life and your income is two or more times than what you need, and you have enough cash to live for two or three years, you are well off. If your health is good, too, you’ve got some wealth. Those attributes are not easy to achieve and take decades to acquire. The good news is that we each get to define what constitutes a good life and the income we need to live it.
The worse part of being rich is that it makes you think you are completely self reliant and don’t need God. It actually drives you away from God. When in reality rich people are sinners just like anyone else and need the savior Jesus Christ who paid their sin penalty when he died on the cross. Jesus once said: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” (Matt. 19:24.)
Being rich is simply how much paper you have. Being wealthy is a mindset. A wealthy person can lose it all and make it back. A wealthy person also cares more about saving money that buying flashy new things. Poor people buy clothes, phones and cars. Wealthy people buy real-estate and appreciating assets that in the long run will make them more wealthy. Being rich implies you have a lot of money and spend it. Being wealthy is being frugile and having lots saved. You start to realize that 200k is more important than the ferrari becasue that 200k is how you make a million.
When I see people brag about their wealth or what they think their worth is I think it takes a very seacial person to have respect to others and themselves which is rare ….. money cant buy respect …..because there are bragging rights being taught for control Being Thankful to the Lord keeps you reserved and respected in faith
Tbh, I consider it like this. Do I have enough in savings, money, etc that I could I could just stop working & maintain a relatively ascetic life with a few pleasure activities? If yes, rich and wealthy. If no, I am not rich and wealthy. With a measly 200,000, I’ll be set for the next 10-15 years. With 250,000 invested in stocks I could be set for life. With a million dollars? I can immediately retire.
These guys are full of crap. They continue to generate money that they don’t need in extreme excess. Do you know where their wealth comes from? Other people who lost. They could’ve stopped at any time. They could stop now but don’t. Now, I’m not against them making money. Just don’t piss down my back and tell me it’s raining.
Wealth accumulation should never be a preoccupation and even less should it ever be a boast. In the levels of poverty around the world, the “Road Kill Cookbook” ceases to be a joke and becomes a necessary means of survival. During the Irish Potato Famine, people died sometimes with grass stains around their mouths from trying to eat grass. This is the real nature of Life, at its heart, that could become anyone’s reality with a twist of fate. These are the things that would better preoccupy one’s mind and drive one’s priorities.
I get what he is saying about eating and perusal TV, etc. with that said, there are so many other things that being rich can bring out side of travel accommodations, etc. day to day life expenses that many stress over is a complete none issue. You can afford the best healthcare. Depending on how wealthy you are, you can change other peoples lives which can bring you a lot of joy. Lastly, if your smart with your money, you will have financial freedom! This alone is worth it!
Yeah Warren that’s a cute story but your forgot to mention the difference between your health-insurance plan and the one that those college students can afford,when you get sick you are fully covered in the best hospitals meanwhile they need to pay six figure sum for surgery.Then the quality of education that you are able to provide to your kids,gran kids without enslaving them with 30 years of Student loan repayment..
What a stupid question. How can you answer this question without knowing how the interviewer wants to define the terms rich, very rich, and wealthy? The interviewer asked the question in such an asinine way and appeared to not want to define what she meant by wealth because then the answer would be obvious. I didn’t find anything Warren said to be profound. Also, how out of touch was Warren to say his life is pretty much the same as a student’s life? The food might be the same, but the student is using borrowed money to choose what to eat and it likely is not the same unless you’re one of the rich students that had parental support. I remember eating spaghetti that I bought in bulk with jarred spaghetti sauce almost every day, save for buying a $1 chicken sandwich from Jack in the Box for lunch while I was a student. And even that stressed me out because the money I spent on food cost me a significant amount based on the little amount of money that I had. I didn’t have a car, not by choice, but because I didn’t have money. That meant train rides to school, longer travel times to school. Every decision is a financial decision. When you’re at the grocery store, you’re constantly deciding if you can afford chicken or not that month. When friends want to go out, even if it’s just for cheap food you have to decide if you have the money to do what they want to do because it’s still more expensive than spaghetti at home. So out of touch. Many years later, I have a lot more money now, and having money does make a huge difference in peace of mind, quality of life, what you can do, milestones in life that you can achieve, the ability to have a family and provide for your kids, safety (being able to live in safer places), being able to afford a car, having time to have relationships.
At a point where you can have a nice house, a nice good above avrage car, comfortable spending money and enough to travel and do things you love etc (generally buy time) without having to think too much about how much are you spending then you are rich. I would say that is a bracket of few mill a year. Everything after that is good ofc but by my standards not worth sacrificing your time and happiness for, if you can make more relatively easily and naturally go for it but if it need 4h more of work every day or anything like that than for me it’s unnecessary, noone needs hundreds of millions or billions.
Warren buffet is full of BS… A billionaire talking about how his life is the same as everyday people life is a joke. .. he said he would trade places with anybody… Lies .. he owns companies with his names on all the top corporations… He can buy anything he wants … What is he talking about he has the same life as 99 percent of the people… His is down playing his power to make himself more friendly . But behind closed doors he is apart of the class that is bleeding the planet of resources and money .. trillions of dollars stolen and trillions more reallocated to people like him.. while other are homeless and in need of good jobs… Warren buffet is a joke….
The issue the college student or just graduated college student has no money which then leads to poor health and diet. Living conditions are terrible usually. Then being stressed about keeping a roof over there head and food in there stomach along with crippling debt. That’s the difference between having money and not. Your ability to survive and live life.
I doubt that their day to day items are the same as college students. The ability to not worry about where the money is coming to take care of yourself and others you care about is different. The amount of opportunity and access to global and high level opportunities is different. I don’t feel this article explains anything about money, except that when you have so much of it that only things that it can’t buy worry you.
I’d see the difference in how you spend money. There are rich people who just live a lavish lifestyle and spend their money as soon as it is available to them. They may have achieved it through inheritance or luck, not really due to an understanding of money or business. And then there is the wealthy people that will continue to build their wealth through investments, not blowing their money on consuming but rather putting it into the economy. These are usually also the people that could work themselves up again to a substantial amount of wealth even if they lost all of it before, simply due to their knowledge about how to become wealthy
It’s all perspective. You I wouldn’t want to be healthy just to be in a poverty stricken environment that’s beyond your control. I rather be wealthy and ill at certain points than be fully healthy in Liberia & we know that because there’s plenty societies in the world that are willing to sacrifice their health and ultimately lives in order to provide the most basics to their families.
For me, having a lot of money is just more options in life really, it maybe will not improve daily life basis, because like Warren said, a more moderate financially person will eat the same food, use the same aircon, use the same bed, or even the same car just like a richer person. but the richer person will have more options to drive a more comfortable car, a more expensive aircon that gives a little bit more benefit, or an exotic choice of food that the normal person wouldn’t consider an option due to limit of their money so i guess more money just equates to more options in life. but the happiness stays almost the same
My deadbeat millionaire dad’s 2bd family lifestyle vs my poverty one: Him: Lives in a $3 million house in Brentwood, CA. Owns buildings. $300,000 a year. My half-brothers: $40,000 private schools since birth. Harvard-Westlake $44,000 high school with children of billionaires. Top private school in Los Angeles. Rice University ($50,000 a year) and UC Irvine for college. Law school at $40,000 a year. International vacations once a year. Houses in other countries. Going to Turkey and Iran for wife to get surgeries. Me: Hungry, was abused. Lived with stressed single mother on food stamps. Had to force father to pay for college, and mental health after 2 nervous breakdowns from the huge amount of stress. Got into MBA program. Father refuses to pay. Wants money from me if I am working.
The stock market has been a really tough one this past months, but I watched an interview on CNBC where the anchor ‘Jim Cramer’ kept mentioning “…KARINA MATTIS…”. This prompted me to get in touch with her, and from October 2021 till now we have been working together, and I can now boast of $540k in my trading portfolio.
Yeah it’s not about the amount of money available. It’s being able to eat out or in 3 or more times a day. You have an emergency that’s not coverage by health insurance. You can pay cash. Your old car that you live needs a new power train. You can afford it. Or if a new car is required. No stress over the cost and if payments can be made. Also buy a house, don’t buy a house, stay at a different hotel every month. Or just find a place you like a rent. Appliances can be replaced when they stop working no problem. Gain or loss weight. Clothes can be replaced easily. Want to get better quality stuff? You can. That’s what I want anyway.
the one thing these rich people doesn’t really tell is, the amount of respect the people gives you. every word you say is treated like words from the bible. that’s the real power of being rich. your opinion, your words matters heavily. i mean take a look at what the people are doing in this article, you are perusal this because you want to hear their answers.
A healthy man wants 1000 things, a sick man only 1 thing. Although Confucius is right, money, and lots of it, presupposes everything we do do in life. Anything from the food we eat, place we live at to the healthcare we buy has money as a pre condition. Without it it’d be awfully hard to live a healthy life. I think for most, finding a good balance between a healthy life and a busy job is exceedingly hard to find. When one has riches or wealth, it’s easy to say that health and a good lifestyle is more important. In reality however, most who don’t have it, aspire to acquire it and often forego healthy choices in order to achieve it. When one doesn’t have it, one often will face conditions that are detrimental to health and a healthy life style.
To be rich is ok, to be rich and money hungry is a sickness!! Many billionaires suffer from money sickness syndrome. You end up feeling your soul slipping away all because your stuck in the trap of money sickness syndrome, your constantly worried about losing all your money and can’t get your mind off of it. Then you hunger for more money like a fat 600lb person craves more food!!! There’s no way out cause money ate your soul and to fill the void you need more money but no matter how much money you make it just ain’t enough. Good luck.😇😇😇😇😜😜
rich is when you can buy a big house and take vacations to expensive places without worrying about the financial aspect of it as well as afford luxury items like expensive vehicles first class tickets, premium clothes and premium healthcare. wealth is when you have so much money you can influence even the government to do what you want them to, thats why these people dont get content wih a certain amount of money thay always want more because they want more power and influence
Buffet is trying to say that everything else besides having the ability to feed yourself sufficiently with 3 meals, decent clothes to wear and a roof over your heads is excess and not entirely necessary. We need enough to eat and sleep and rest well, anything else is really just ‘good to have’ not must haves.
When you are so rich you forget about what it was like to be average. He will trade his way of life for anyone of middle class? LMAO A lot of Middle class are working jobs they might not want to but have to he would not trade that. He works doing something he loves and knows he can say fuck it im done whenever he wants. Middle class cant always do that.
It took me four years to discover that forecasting themarket based on charts is pointless; you never knowwhat will happen. Without a mentor, those four yearswere miserable. Now, I watch market trends andkeep things basic and disciplined. I currently earn anaverage of $35k every week, despite the fact that Ibarely trade myself.
All due respect to Warren, until you’ve spent at least a week on the streets you simply don’t realise how much we take for granted. Even having a flight cancelled (as I’m sure many have experienced over the course of the pandemic) and finding yourself stuck at the airport is a reminder of just how good it feels to be able to slide into bed at the end of a long day. Many of the Americans forced to live in their cars (or worse) post-GFC will realise the impact of trying to sleep with one eye open (a fantasy if ever there was one) on your health and attitude to life, but to give Warren his due he has lived through some ‘interesting times’ in America and clearly came out on top.
“I’ll take health any time.” “So will I.” -Two multibillionaires whose next 10 generations don’t have to worry about money Not that I disagree with these guys, and I do like them a lot. I just think many people have little choice but to be stuck in a stressful environment, go into work sick, and forsake their health in various other ways cuz financial stability isn’t guaranteed to them.
it’s interesting because i think rich kids are really thriving on tiktok. every time i see one of those haul articles or “a day in my life” vlogs, there’s just a lot of comments saying “i wish this was me” “want this for myself.” and i feel like it’s because of tiktok’s unique algorithm? maybe people who like/share hyper-consumerist content are genuinely interested in that stuff so the algorithm creates an echo chamber in the comments. whereas people who are anti-consumerist/anti-capitalist don’t see any of these vids on their for you pages, and therefore can’t interact with them. it just leads to a lack of class consciousness because no one is checking anyone.
When I was about 18, I had a friend who refused to believe that I’d never been to the theatre and never been to a restaurant with my family. She insisted that everyone has done that, and I felt so embarrased to tell her that my family didn’t have money to do that. Like, it’s usually kids who are ‘well off’ who don’t know about their family’s status because they’ve never had to think about it. But poor kids are extremely aware. even at like 6 years old, our teachers asked us to describe what we did on our break, I lied and said we went to theme parks etc, cos in reality we stayed home because we had no money. I never had friends over at my house because my mum didn’t have food to feed them. Kids pointed out that my shoes had holes in them, but I had to lie and say I liked them like that, because I only got one new pair of shoes per year. People don’t believe that children could live like this in the UK, but we did.
Fun fact: In the US, disabled people who receive supplemental income from the government (usually not totaling more than $7,000 a year) can’t get married because they lose their supplemental income. You also can’t have more than $2,000 in the bank, if you make any money that reduces the amount of supplemental income you receive (so if you make 5k a year, you’ll only receive 2k), and living with family also means you’ll receive less income. Basically, don’t get married, don’t make any money and live on your own somehow, too, don’t save any money, and don’t work even if you can. The whole system in incredibly broken and keeps disabled people poor. 🙃
Something that I really can’t stand is when people my age (in their twenties) tell me: “oh you’ve never been a year abroad?” or “you only have visited these few places? You have to travel, it opens your mind, it’s so important to see the world!” Like, ok I know that, I would love to travel but I don’t have the money.
I remember back in those Bethany Mota days, she would share “OOTDs” and link where she bought clothes. So one time when I went to a new shopping mall, I saw J. Crew and Anthropology, ready to buy the cute tops that she had, and saw the tag, my heart sank. As a young girl that was hard for me. I thought my mom giving me $50 for the mall was so much money and it couldn’t even get me one shirt that the youtuber I liked had.
It was such a trip to realize that wealth = popularity as a kid. I would always wonder why the other girls had such nice hair and trendy clothing, cute school supplies, etc. They would go on fun international trips. I would go to birthday parties or other kids houses and they had huge backyards with pools. And of course, they were wildly popular at school. Then one day, it just clicked.
it’s like all these tiktokers being like “yeah i just got up and decided to move to nyc after high school!!!” and they have these ‘aesthetic’ articles of going out w their friends, in their giant apartments and walking along the streets of manhattan and cute outfits- and there are so many people seeing that and not realizing these aren’t smart teenagers “living their lives” they are incredibly wealthy individuals who have the privilege to be able to live rhat life. it’s so frustrating.
Being on the internet young really warped my perception of money and how easy it is to make it. I used to think it’s normal to spend $200 on a haul and get a luxury vehicle for your birthday and don’t even get me started on the what I got for Christmas articles and I could never understand why I couldn’t have those things because when they described how wealthy they were they said “I’m comfortable”, because I would’ve described my middle class family as comfortable but we couldn’t afford half of those things.
“My parents worked really hard for their money” is quite an ignorant and insensitive thing to say when addressing wealth. Like I’m sure your parents did work hard for their money, but that doesn’t mean they’ve worked harder than those who do not have money. Not all people who have money have worked for it, especially those who come from intergenerational wealth where money is passed down through the family. It also implies that people who work jobs that are lower income (retail workers, hospitality etc) don’t work hard and aren’t faced with challenges of their own which is not true, and anyone who has worked those jobs knows that.
I think the most ridiculous thing about this, that you didn’t mention, is the reason these people are making so much money is because they’re literally just walking advertisements. When you realise that advertising companies are just using young people to sell their products, it makes a lot more sense why influencers make so much money and why it feels so wrong to the average person that they do. Its consumerism disguised as entertainment
As somebody who came from an affluent community (though I’m about 5 years older than you,) I can tell you that no, young people don’t realize that they’re rich if they’re surrounded by other rich people. People say culture is like water, and the fish don’t notice the water. That’s 100% true. If you’re not exposed to the way other teens with less means live, you don’t realize that what you have is a luxury to many. It’s only once you get into a more diverse setting, whether it’s college or a different community in the “real world”, that you realize how much privilege you have/had.
Something I’ve always found interesting is how my dad refuses to accept that we’re rich. He’s an immigrant and had a really rough childhood and young adulthood and struggled financially to the point where he basically had to join the army. But by the time I came around, my parents were very well off. They have no debt and because of their money management and income, neither do I. I’m starting off life on my own with a tremendous amount of advantages. Yet when I try to explain to my parents that “reasons x, y, and z make us upper middle class” my dad doesn’t want to accept that. It’s interesting how he’s simultaneously grateful he’s not in the financial situation he was in 30 years ago but he’s still attached to his identity from then.
I think “kids being born in a family that could give them comfortable life styles aren’t evil millionaires and they shouldn’t feel responsible for financial inequality that they didn’t cause” and “they should acknowledge their status and privilege even if it makes them less relatable” can both be true.
Yes!! This is fantastic. I love this shit. As someone who grew up bordering lower class/lower middle class, I shared a room with my mum and sister, and later just my sister until I moved out at 20. And even then, I was sharing with my boyfriend at the time. When the relationship ended and I moved again, I had my own room for the first time at 21 and only for 4 months before moving back home to share a room with my mum. I’ve been perusal YouTube for god knows how long and it’s so interesting to see how content has changed. I’ve always believed that poverty begets poverty and having a wealthier upbringing supports you more in being able to maintain that wealth into adulthood
The funniest thing to me is when wealthy tiktokers or youtubers purposely ignore questions like “how do you afford all of this?” “where do you work?” because they know that they have never worked for anything and that their lifestyle is funded by their parents. And it’s always so sad to see kids ask those questions because you can sense their desperation for a lifestyle such as theirs.
I feel like if you don’t know what class you are or what’s your parents’ financial situation when you’re a teenager, it means that you’re pretty good financially (most times at least). When I was younger and kept asking my mom money for clothes and makeup or to go out with friends or money for a phone etc, she sat down with me and literally showed me what our income was and what our expenses were. I was shocked to see that, and I never talked about getting those things again. Since then I grew up knowing exactly what my situation is. “Rich” kids do not have an idea of what’s going on, what’s their situation or/and where they stand in society.
i hate when rich people say “we’re comfortable” when they’re clearly just rich. or “my parents have money” that means you do too. even if they don’t buy you everything you want you have the privilege of growing up in a wealthy home, having better access to healthcare, education, possibly growing up in a neighborhood with a low crime rate, or even gated community, and having access to better food. all of that gives someone massive privilege. not to mention connections their parents may have in the workplace that give their children opportunities the rest of us don’t get
I am 24 now and recently started to make a really decent living. I asked my 12 year old godniece what she wanted for Christmas and she said “I’m really into pens lately”. I immediately knew what that meant. Her family is poor and she goes to school with wealthier kids. She really just wanted to be able to blend in or shine in her own way with her school supplies. I went and bought her some cute, fluffy notebooks and really cute pens with the fuzzy poof balls on top. I know how much it would’ve meant to me as a kid to go to school and be able to flex. That’s really what she was asking me for, so I’m doing my best to make it happen for her. It’ll do wonders for her self esteem.
I grew up in upper-middle class, and honestly didn’t even realize how well-off we were until my fiance. He grew up extremely poor, often going without meals entirely. When we talk about our experiences, he’s helped me see that I grew up with a lot of privilege; I didn’t realize it because my mother made sure to raise me not to be spoiled, I just never went wonting for anything. I agree with a lot of comments here that kids who grow up wealthy or at least comfortable have no idea and don’t need to think about it.
Rich kid here! I think you were pretty spot on in guessing that rich kids assume they’re middle class as a result of having little understanding of the spectrum of wealth in the world. Most rich people exist in communities that poorer people can’t enter, and so the boundary for being middle class in rich kids’ perspectives switches from “not being able to afford healthcare or house repairs” to “only owning a couple houses”. I remember one day at the private school I was going to, in my social studies class, the teacher put up a graphic showing the five quintiles of wealth in the world. Without telling us the boundaries for each quintile, she asked us to guess whether we fell into the poorest, second poorest, middle, second richest, or richest quintile. No one in the class guessed the richest. Once we had all answered and placed ourselves in the third or fourth quintile, the teacher described the daily lives of each quintile. The example family for the third quintile all shared the same toothbrush, and the example for the fourth quintile couldn’t afford to heat or cool their house. It turned out every single person in my class fit into the upper part of the fifth quintile, where the first example of families having matching silverware sets and their own individual rooms started popping up. When rich communities make up your entire world, you’re more likely to fit yourself on a spectrum of “wearing hand-me-down clothes” to “having a pop star perform at your birthday party” than on the actual spectrum of class that the majority of the world lives in.
so I’m ten minutes in and I’m already crying even tho there’s nothing emotional in the article? I’m someone from a third world country and my perception of the West came from these YouTube articles. I remember feeling pitiful and sad about not having a teenage like this. When you said that you felt left out of this niche of teenagers I actually feel seen for once. Thank u for being my best friend Tiff ilysm <3
It’s truly a sign of how much capitalism gaslights us all that budding class consciousness must be apologized for as ‘pettiness’ or ‘jealousy’ or ‘being a hater’ on the part of the not-rich/less-privileged. I can so relate to younger Tiffany – I was constantly in awe of the lifestyles of my rich peers…..but for some reason *I* was the weird one for thinking their lives were not normal and shouldn’t be normalized 🤔
I think people don’t talk enough about how challenging it can be to date someone from a different socioeconomic status. I had a boyfriend whose parents had three houses, and was genuinely confused why my family did not have a lake house. But on the flip side, I have also dated someone who was houseless at times growing up. It’s so easy for even middle class people to be so unaware of their privilege (myself included)
I wonder how many of those “rich” people are actually living their lifestyle on credit and no savings. Especially people in the upper middle class. I have so many friends that live extravagant lifestyles but they earn less than I do. Our banker once admitted that most people’s savings accounts are empty. I think there’s a huge segment of society that’s faking it.
Being exposed to that kind of content while living in a “2nd or 3rd world” country adds another layer to the whole experience. It’s not just that your family could never afford those luxuries, but also that many symbols of such lifestyles wouldn’t even be present in your country (we literally didn’t have malls or big amusement parks or proper restaurants or even houses that looked remotely like the classic “american dream” ones). Anyways, thanks for the article.
Speaking of teeth, I work in the dental field. When you mention people who are rich but think they’re middle class…. That’s most dentists. I work for a husband and wife team that own a dental practice and real estate. They are millionaires, but definitely not Jeff Bezos rich. Listening to them talk about money like it’s nothing makes me cringe. This past winter my furnace shit out and luckily for me, I know an HVAC guy who was able to replace mine for only $2000. When having a casual convo with my one of bosses, he commented that I was lucky and “$2000 is nothing”. It made me want to vomit. My paychecks aren’t even $2000, my mortgage isn’t cheap, and I strongly considered trying to go without heat that winter. They have no clue how hard it is.
I’m 33 and Irish and have slightly crooked teeth that aren’t perfect white. Didn’t bother me too much until Instagram stories ….I got so used to seeing people talk into the camera with PERFECT teeth. Now I am wearing Invisalign which I have treated myself to with my savings…when they come off I’m getting them whitened… Irish and British people did not care much about teeth and it was never a huge class indicator/beauty standard until recently. Some Americans thought that some Irish/British celebrities with ‘bad’ teeth were wearing fake ones for a joke. An iconic famous Irish singer had to have his teeth on his album cover photoshopped so his album could be sold in the USA lmao.
I will NEVER get over them girls/boys on TIKTOK showing their day in life where all they do is drinking matcha latte, shopping, pelatonin or whatever, and perusal at sunsets…like what you do to fund your perfect Manhattan condo with a view? Why are they keep lying when answering that question? SELF MADE MY ASSS😂
I never want to forget or brush aside how much privilege I come from. My parents, while they didn’t have the money to have family vacations abroad or a big house or new cars, could always pay for my music lessons. They’re both college professors, and with that came with enough disposable income to pay for things like music lessons, tickets to the local theater, my sister’s dance classes, things in that vein (not to mention the best gift they could possibly have given us, free undergrad tuition at the college my mom works at). I’m a trained composer with a degree and a half now, and if I ever make it big I will never say it’s because of hard work. Yes, I work hard, but anyone can work hard. If hard work got you success then every creator would be successful. It’s all luck. Luck to be born into a family that could pay for me to learn music at a young age, luck to have a mom working at a school that gives kids of faculty free tuition, luck to have a family that’s been stable enough to let me stay at home and save up before moving to a big city so I don’t need a full time job for a while and can focus on my creative work. Not everyone is so lucky, and that needs to change.
I used to say we were comfortable because we weren’t starving and got presents on Christmas and birthdays. But we didnt go to the doctors unless it was hospital worthy and even then my dad stitched his own arm rather than pay for the ER. We did dishes in the bathtub because the kitchen sink was broke. Our furnace broke so we didnt have heat for several years but had to buy space heaters so the water pipes in our ceiling wouldnt freeze which still happened even with the heaters on truly cold days. I said comfortable because I compared us to people I saw who lived on the street or in shelters. I mean I had a home and food, that was comfortable to me.
I’m fascinated by the tooth talk… living in Canada where we have free healthcare, we don’t have free dental care, and as an adult, you can almost tell someone’s class or status by looking at the quality of their teeth… also Trixie Mattel talks about as soon as she got rich and famous she replaced all her busted teeth with veneers.. And Katya tells a story about her high school teacher who was a nice lady but had awful teeth and low confidence because of it always hiding her face, and then after one weekend she came in and had all new teeth and her confidence had skyrocketed
When I was a kid my dad would describe our economic status as: ”We have enough so we dont have to worry if we will be able to pay the bills and not be hungry.” And that was accurate, the food was basic food, we didnt get sweets and ice scream was a once in a while treat, I wore a lot of hand me downs from my brother, we would buy jackets that were too big and fold the sleeves so that we could wear them for at least one or 2 extra years cause kids grow. We maybe didnt understand class and money properly, but we had a decent idea, recently I was on a walk with my mom and saw a huge doll house in a store window, I commented how silly it was how much i wanted to have one of those as a kid, she was confused cause I never told her. And I didnt, neither did my brother, we knew we cant afford expensive stuff so why even ask. But I still feel uncomfortable talking about money and generally would rather not. I had a few run ins with a couple of my friends from college recently, where they complained to no end about how their income is horrible and how hard they are struggling. One of them is earning double that I do and the other a bit over a tripple of my current income, no kids etc. They are far more well off than the majority of people in my country. But when you grew up in a family where have a near live in maid to clean and cook for the family, your idea of struggling is different.
as someone who was very low income (grew up in subsidized housing, group housing section 8, food stamps all that shit) It was interesting that going to college was actually the most money I ever made, not after, DURING. People like to say “broke college student” but as someone on the lowest end of the spectrum, even the income of college students was astounding to me.
I find it quite shocking that it seems like “success” now means to be rich or wealthy. It is like you can’t call yourself successful anymore if you graduate and become a nurse like thousands who do every year….now you can only be considered successful if you do own a Lamborghini and such because few people can. This lifestyle of overflowing materialism is just ridiculous to me.
Honestly I feel like Tik Tok is the epitome of pretty privilege. On YouTube, anyone has the potential to grow a decently-sized audience if they work hard enough and select a niche that suits them well. However, on Tik Tok? Yes, true, anyone can blow up just like they can on tik tok. But someone can also just post a 5s article of themselves looking in the mirror and get hundred of thousands of likes and followers?
Honestly, I’m less annoyed by a youtuber/influencer that can say “yes, I am rich” than one that will pretend they’re broke when they always have the latest tech and drop $500 on new clothes every week. I mean tbh, when I’m rich, I will be so happy to say that I am lolol. I also remember perusal these christmas hauls and honestly feeling sad that i was only receiving 2-3 gifts. To add insult to injury, they would always say “this is in no way bragging, this is just what my parents got me. I’m not rich though”, and then would unbox the newest iPhone even in 2012 when they weren’t a thing yet. Note: I was absolutely NOT poor growing up (I wasn’t rich either though). My parents just spent their money on stuff we needed rather than everything we wanted. This whole consumerism side of youtube is actually the reason why i never took youtube seriously when growing up. I tried to create a beauty website back in 2013, and I ended up giving it up rather quickly after realizing I would never be able to compare to these other beauty youtuber coming out with a new 1000$ haul every other day. I’ve actually recently moved into a new apartment, which is very beautiful and actually matches what’s “in trend”. And you know what? I moved a month ago, and my Instagram following has literally doubled when I haven’t changed anything. Still using the same hashtags, and actually I’ve been putting much less effort into interacting with people than I used to do. Yet, my photos are getting hundreds (and even thousands) more likes than they used to.
Something to consider, one reason why some wealthy “influencers” might downplay their riches is due to the way that rich people are portrayed in media. Think about Robin Hood, AOC’s “tax the rich” dress, 101 dalmations’ cruella deville, the whole “eat the rich” meme, Ebenezer Scrooge, etc. The whole “evil and rich” trope is extremely common, so perhaps they want to appear more approachable and just don’t want to be seen as a villain.
A conversation my brother and parents and I had a few months ago: Bro: …are we the one percent Dad: yeah Bro: oh. How did I never know that? Dad: well we’re the one percent but not the 0.01% Bro: but I feel like we’re normal Me: dude. We had an Au pair until you were seven. Bro: damn. I never thought about that. Seriously, though. I knew a bunch of kids who thought they were average or even lower class because they compared their lives to kids whose parents owned wineries.
can’t wait for this, i love this topic! also this is unrelated but i know in the latest Nuuly you were talking about the weird discouraging nature of spending a ton of time on a article that doesn’t get much attention, and i just wanted to say that your articles are all valuable specifically because you spend so much time and effort putting them together, and not because people watch them. hope you’re doing well, and keep up the amazing work 🙂
It depends so much what “middle class” means, for example as a “middle class” person living in mexico, i can say i may have the same lifestyle as a middle class american person but i would be considered pour because here living is so much less expensive than in america, and that happens in america too, a middle class person in a certain place may be broke in LA and a middle class in LA may be rich in some other place.