[afpx]

As an outlier poor kid who made money, I can really relate to this. This is a thought-provoking piece, and hits on a lot of things I think about often.

But, I think some of us aren’t necessarily in the hedonic treadmill game. Some of us keep working to gain more wealth not be of higher social status but because we fear being relegated back to poor-guy status.

Now, I often do want to be the non-rich guy again. I see many of my friends making 30k a year and enjoying life. And, I often take time off to hang with my old friends because it gets me out of my bubble and also because it’s more authentic to me. I get tired of wearing a mask.

But, I keep driving myself for wealth because I find it gives me security. As a poor kid, I can’t tell you how many times I was targeted by the power hierarchy. Being at the bottom of the social ladder hurts. You get abused and bullied. You have no voice or remedy when you (often) become the target of those with wealth. It hurts mentally, emotionally, financially, and - as the police are mostly paid to watch you - it can wind you in prison.

No, I can’t deal with that feeling. I want money because it gives me access and it keeps the creepers away.

[throwaway_98554]

Great input.

As a short form :

"I'm not running to the top, I'm running away from the bottom."

[irrational]

> as the police are mostly paid to watch you

Just yesterday I was talking to someone who's father contributed $10,000 to the reelection campaign for the local sheriff. I asked him why he did that and the response was so that the sheriff would feel obligated to the guy's father.

[tonyedgecombe]

Politicisation of the police seems like a terrible idea. We have been trying to do it in the UK, fortunately it seems to be failing and will likely get canned the next time we have a change of government.

[hef19898]

Sad but true. Zrue freedom and liberty are hard to find nowadays if they ever were easy that is.

[thatoneuser]

Sorry you’ve had that experience. I can relate to it as well. You don’t need to be rich per se, you just don’t want to be poor. You want to have autonomy rather than having to follow extra archaic rules because society doesn’t trust you.

Privileged people don’t get how much of a trap the world is when you aren’t privileged.