Regardless of how you define the word rich, it has always been interpreted as one who has the ability to spend wildly, abandon the concept of work and be free from the chains of paid labor. These beliefs cannot be further from the truth because being rich does not warrant that. Besides having the luxury to choose what you want rather than what you can afford, being rich just accentuates your innate character. This means that if you are a thrifty person by default, becoming rich will not transform you into a spendthrift. In this post, I will attempt to explain why being rich just makes you more confident of who you initially are.
Myth 1: The price of luxury is justified
The price of “quality” is not always justified. Whenever I come across restaurants or boutiques selling luxury stuff, I always have trouble quantifying the actual value of the item. It is the same as comparing which brand of potato chips has the highest value for money, I will tend to compare prices even when I have more money to spend. For example, spending $400 on a meal compared to $40, even if the $400 meal is more exquisite and 100% imported from a fancy part of the world. It is still hard to justify spending so much on a meal when you can keep the balance of $360 and spend it on family and friends to make their day. What I am trying to say is not that rich people do not spend but rather being rich is not the only reason why people will indulge in expensive experiences.
Myth 2: You can only consume as much as you want so long as you can afford it
Let’s just say you have almost no limit on your daily budget. Can you then eat 4 lunches and 8 dinners just because you can afford it? Being rich does not mean you will consume more in your daily life. While rich people tend to spend more, they are also limited by their confines of time and energy. In other words, we cannot actually spend infinitely more even if we wanted to. In fact, rich people might also feel the burden of spending more just because they have more. After all, what is the point of having more money when you do not spend it right?
Myth 3: You can maintain a normal life if you choose to live differently
Many people think that rich people can choose not to work but still maintain relationships with their friends but that is not easy to do. Basically, if you are no longer working for a salary, you will eventually lose touch with the problems faced by those who do. This might seem trivial but actually, it does matter a lot when it comes to communicating with your peers. After some time, you will realize that your thoughts and interests will deviate so much that it is no longer viable to stay acquainted.
Closing Thoughts
The point I am trying to make is that being rich is not always good because of all the additional stresses that you will get when you get more “freedom” to choose. Also, if you want to abandon your old self and embrace a new one, one that spends frivolously, then there is a high chance that you will soon be back to your “normal state” when your money runs out.
