Rich and Poor What does it mean to be Rich When you hear the word rich - always ask, Compared to what? Most of us that live in the United States are obscenely rich when compared to those living in most African nations. Does that make us feel Rich in a time when our economy is crashing, our investments dwindling, and we're fearful of losing our jobs. I would say - No! But what if we confine the discussion to the United States? Some people are rich and some are poor - true. The fact is that most people confuse relative poverty with absolute poverty. The rich are getting richer, true, but so are the poor. Sure, it's at a slower rate than the rich, but their standard of living is still improving measured in absolute terms. People need to stop pretending that wealth is a pie of fixed size and the only consideration is distribution. What does in mean to be Rich? What does in mean to be Poor? Rich is whatever a person says it is. To some people $10,000 might be rich. For others it might be $100,000, $1 million, $100 million, $1 billion, or it may be just having more money than other people. Poor is also whatever a person says it is. It's a state of mind. Abject poverty does exist for those without food, water, and shelter - but not for most people in the modern world. What does exist is a feeling of not having enough. The only people with a genuine excuse are those struck down by tragic injury or illness - they're not poor, they're victims. Wealth is the result of productivity - of adding value in a way that society rewards. As a symbol of wealth, money quantifies effort, skill, and accomplishment. Question: Is it right to be massively, some would call obscenely, rich? Answer: Is it right to be massively productive? To create great value by doing that which society rewards? Is it right to pursue your dreams? To work hard? To work long hours? To take risk? My answer is Yes! As long as the money wasn't stolen - either by being a criminal or somehow getting the government to steal the money for you. Money is earned (without resorting to either force or fraud) when value is exchanged through the sales of goods and services - and yes, trading is a service - a very valuable service. Rich people are rich because they create value (or they received money from others who previously created value). To earn their riches, the wealthy think differently from those who don't acquire riches. They don't necessarily work harder, but they do work smarter. Here are some thoughts on how the rich and poor think: Rich people choose to take risks, whereas poor people seem to need a guarantee. Rich people play the money game to win, poor people play not to lose. Rich people are committed to doing what it takes to be rich, while poor people want/ dream/ hope to be rich. Rich people choose to get paid based on results, whereas poor people choose to get paid based on time. Rich people take responsibility. They know that blaming other people isn't going to solve their problem. Poor people typically do what they feel like and if it doesn't work out - they look for a scapegoat. Being rich means being a winner: Being poor is for losers: Sports Life Sports Life Swinging the bat as hard as you can in baseball. Giving 100% in practice. Working with weights in the off-season. Finding your talent/ what you enjoy & are good at. Working hard (including thinking) "Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason why so few engage in it." - Henry Ford. Reading/ Studying/ Lifelong learning  Saving/ investing instead of spending everything. Swinging the bat half-heartedly. Whining about the pitcher. Not working hard in practice. Taking it easy in the off-season. Doing just enough to get by. Spending more than earned by going into debt.  Not reading/ studying/ or otherwise learning & improving skills. Watching mindless TV  Gossiping/ complaining Bad habits, i.e. compulsive behavior that detracts from goals. Final Thoughts To be rich is not only right, it's the embodiment of success. Wealth belongs to those who create value. To create value and not be rewarded is demotivating and dehumanizing. Rich people take risks and demand a piece of the pie. The rich are paid on results - not necessarily on the amount of time invested in a project. "It is not the strongest of the species that survives ... nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." - Charles Darwin

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