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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Wealth.

"Many people take no care of their money until they come nearly to the end of it, and others do just the same with their time." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe



There have been a few debates in the Coffee Shop about how we should be thankful for what we get or have.
I wouldn't have originally posted this, but for some reason it's been bothering me, so here it goes.

One of the contributors is fairly rich. They're nice, smart, witty and never have I seen them belittle another person about their wealth. Recently, they made a post, on their own thread (a thread directed to us complaining about things that have been bothering us) about how their mother keeps buying them a car, and has no say in what they got.

The rest of the people went and bombarded them with how they weren't acting grateful for being bought more than one car in the first place.

Usually, I probably would've done the same. Being poor as fuck myself, I'd love to just be bought a car. I probably wouldn't even complain, unless it was a completely shitty car. But then I got to thinking more about it.
It's not that they weren't grateful for the cars, but it wasn't even a car they liked. And if their parents have money to just keep buying cars, why not at least get some input from the person they're buying it for, so they can buy a car they like and then stop buying cars?

I guess I'm more neutral about this since I've (and you, too, have probably) been put in similar situations many times, just not with a car.
My grandma loves to buy me clothes. She also loves to buy me girly clothing. With the pink and the flowers and the ruffles... She even tries to get me to wear skirts. SKIRTS! (Alright, I'll admit it, I've come very, very close to buying a full length skirt, and I wish I did now that I think about it. But still, I'm not a skirt girl).

Now on one hand, I am thankful that she thought of me when getting the clothes. I am thankful that she buys me things in the first place, seeing as I don't have a job or anyway to support myself as of current. And the fact that my grandmother wants to take the money she and my grandfather have earned and saved over the years and buy me something nice, I highly appreciate it.

However, on the other hand, it's clothing that I wouldn't be caught dead in. I am not a pink wearing, tank top loving, frilly girly girl. I do not like flower shaped buttons, I do not like skirts or dresses or those weird doll shirts that end at your boobs, then poof out and make you look huge.

So, if my grandma is going to be so nice as to buy me clothing, why not have it be clothing that I actually want to wear and flaunt around? And it's not like I haven't told her what I like to wear, hell, I even go shopping with her and pick things out, she should have an idea of what I like.

And another point, I've always seen it go down like this. The person who has more complains about something, like the car for example, and not getting what they want. The person who has less thinks that the person who has more is an ungrateful person and isn't thankful for what they have or get.

For the person who has less, they don't know any different from being middle or lower class. They know what it's like to work hard and live pay check to pay check. People who were born into un-wealthy families learn how to be more grateful for the little that they have, and when gifted with a car, they'd be forever in the gifters debt. Figuratively speaking.
Looking at the car situation, if they were in it as of right now, they'd take the car and not complain. (I'm talking in a general sense, here, not everyone).

However. IF that person was born and raised in a wealthy, very well off family, they wouldn't know any different from having things bought and handed to them. Things they need they can buy. Things they want, they can buy, and more. No problem. The wealthy person doesn't know what it's like to only have enough to pay for the months bills and a few Cup Ramens. I'm not saying they're completely oblivious to it, just that they've never had to experience it themselves.

If you have it, why not use it? Within reason, at least.

So in my opinion, I think the people of lesser wealth are being a little hypocritical. If they were born into a richer family, I doubt they would have the same morals and thankfulness of what they were given than if they were born poor and given something that's seen as a substantial gift.


Now, I hope you guys can see my point here. 
If they have enough money to buy cars, if they have enough to buy more than one car, and still buy way more, why not talk to whomever your buying it for, and get some information as to what they'd like to drive?


Agree, disagree, I don't mind. I just feel better getting this off my chest. Here's some cute animals.

4 comments:

  1. I agree. :) And cute animals indeed! :D I awarded you on my blog [again] :D
    -Jodie-Ann

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  2. I completely agree. If they were born with cash in their pockets, then they'd be buying cars, and fancy clothes, and other expensive shit left and right. And to be honest, I think people can complain about whatever they want, as long as it is their own thread.

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  3. I agree with you on this. In reality I think people look down on what they can't comprehend, like someone in a lower class looking down on the car issue. But the real issue is being understood and acknowledged, and I think that's all anyone wants sometimes. Kind of like it would probably make you feel nice if one day your grandma bought you the perfect piece of clothing. Because she understood you.

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  4. What you're saying is true. We all do this. But wether or not we would complain about a car if we had more money depends on how you were brought up and how you relate to money.
    I like your post. You have a nice blog going on here.

    If you have time please check out my blog at
    http://the-writing-junkie.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete

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