to find some people attitudes, such as "i work hard i deserve it" really sickening

[carriedababi]

was reading some magazine in the dentist, there was a woman from dragons den iin the mag.
saying how she had a wardrode worth 3 million.

and she went onto say well i work hard for it.
so ideserve it.
and something todo with she sees her expensive clothes as a symbol of how sucessful she is.

really made me feel sick, how a horrible nasty attitude to have in life.

i'm sure even if i was a millionaire, i would not be proud about spending that much on clothes.

i don't know its just the arrogant im entitled to this that got me.
and dont they think people how have less also work hard. probably alot of them work alot harder

what do you think

Of course it depends on what you consider a low wage.

Ok thanks surprises. That must have been tough.

I know loads of people (including myself) who have to work for long hours and shit pay. It's not unusual in the real world (just on MN).

Part of life I suppose. I think that's why it really doesn't bother me what people do with their money. If I had an enourmous wage I would probably spend it on some sort of exentrecity (sorry, can't spell it!) as well.

I have done loads of badly paid long hour jobs but TBH I have never begrudged anyone else the money they have.

That lady from dragons den has built up a succesful company in a male dominated sector and overcome an often fatal or debilitating stroke. If she wants to waste her money on clothes then good luck to her. Besides the money she spent on horrible clothes kept a lot of shops and businesses going no doubt.

constantcraving I sincerely hope you give all but the very minimum you need to live on, to charity.

I don't think this is about begrudging people anything theCrackFox. For me it is about morality. I feel spending £3 million (in fact any money really unless you need them) on clothes is wasteful and immoral. Which is why I work long hours (paid and unpaid) in community development and have very few clothes, I suppose.

And good on her, hard to succeed and create employment as a woman in that area. And overcoming a stroke is brilliant. Probably stress induced, given her job.

Immoral?

That's 3 million pounds into the economy that provide jobs, puts food on plates. If the rich started hoarding all their cash under the mattress, dear god then you'd have something to complain about!

Hehe, Milicent! Something tells me you and I wouldn't get on very well in real life. Thankfully I don't live anywhere near the Home Counties (just a hunch).

I've come to the thread late, but as I recall, this woman was also on Secret Millionaire a few years back where she came across as a lonely and unhappy woman despite her success and wealth, wanting to do something worthwhile.

I think she's had problems with her DS being a drug addict unable to get clean.

I don't know, I think it's a throw away comment about the clothes, perhaps she is trying to make herself feel better by spending on them in such a way?

All I remember is that she actually came across as a needy person who despite appearances wasn't really in a good place. All her energy went into her work and she was left mid 50s wondering what it had all been for.

(I think it is the same woman)

braw I don't live anywhere near the Home Counties, either .
And no, we wouldn't get on. I tend to avoid intolerant bigotry and presumptiousness. And big fat chips on shoulders

Oh and braw , my MIL had a stroke last year, never done a days work in her life.

We have a very strange attitude to money in the UK, we are not happy for people to have made money and if they have made a lot of money it is called new money or they are brash and often slaged of in some way or other.

People then make money work hard and spend their money on what they want - do a magazine article where they are asked questions about themself and give the answers and possibly have a few words put into their mouths and the interview slightly changed in the write up - and all of a sudden that is the wrong attitude to have about life and money.

it is their attitude and why can't they think they have worked hard and can spend their money on what they like, possibly they are proud of - not the clothes - but the symbol of the clothes, the fact that they can afford to buy that amount of clothes or a car as they have been working hard and are good at what they do.

I'm sorry to hear about your MIL, Milicent, but all I meant is there is a direct correlation between strokes and stress and this businesswoman works extremely hard.

And I was joking about the Home Counties (sort of)! Your views remind me very much of the Hampshire contingent of my family, that's all. Sorry if I offended you.

Wildstrawberry, how sad. Money doesn't make everyone happy.

wildstrawberries, that is the right person, she has also said in interviews that she regrets spending so much time at work in her life, and worries that if she had been around more perhaps her son wouldn't have had the drug addict he did.
please note im not saying thats the case at all, just what she has said about it.
can hand on heart say im not envious at all.
its a bit of a dissapointing arguement from some people, that if you don't agree with something, then you must be envious.
i do really feel for the woman, she had a stroke after having a tummy tuck operation, had 2 divorces.
which cannot be easy for anyone
shes perhaps not had the time with her ds she would have liked

just feel shes looking for something and i genuinely hope she finds it.

still find it sickening when people say things like i work hard, i deserve it.

however i have a feeling the jurno has put a spin on things.

anyway lessoned learnt, next time i'm at the dentist, don't pick up thosetypes of magazines!
i really don't think they are for me.

anyway thanks for all the replies, it's been an interesting chat.

I agree HD seems to have had a sad life in many ways and is a sympathetic person. I think as OP and wildstrawberry have said, what little w eknow about her life from TV and media just confirms my view that if you puteverything into achieving financiialsucces, at the expense of yourpersoanl life, you may end upregretting it. Wish society didn't try to push everypne in that direction.

MilicentBystander Thu 06-Oct-11 21:12:19
constantcraving I sincerely hope you give all but the very minimum you need to live on, to charity.

What a seriously twattish post that is.

Carrie: I agree with what you say. The poor woman has had an awful lot to cope with in her life. I don't believe for a minute that she wouldn't swap her £3million wardrobe for a happy, healthy son and good health for herself.

The adulation of wealth is something I find very hard to stomach.

To have people telling me that my reaction is all to do with jealousy is just ... I don't know ... laughable, contemptible, pathetic. One of those.

Of course the journo has spun it, and probably done a little bit of creative accounting along the way. She probably bought everything at TK Maxx

She was definitely on Secret millionaire wildstrawberry.

I came from a very poor background. I absolutely understand the drive that HD and other entrepreneurs display. I think reducing her achievements to the sum total of her sorrows is missing the point, actually. She will of course regret things like her son's addiction, and wonder if it was her fault, but she was out building the secure life for him that she did not have. But at the time her focus would have probably been on building enough financial security for him so he wouldn't go through the things that she did with her father.

I agree bibbity

I am also depressed that so many people think these entrepreneurs are great role models for our children, just because they made money. Sad.

Nope, sorry. Was off to bed but couldn't let that pass. I think that strong, bright, brave and resilient entrepreneurs who are prepared to stand up, put their security on the line, employ people, stimulate economies, contribute to charity and create something out of nothing are bloody marvellous role models.

I also think teachers, nurses and carers are pretty amazing too btw. Its not one or the other.

Ok wilson, some of rhose qualities might be admirable, but I sincerely hope my daughters don't have a life like HD.

I don't have a problem with people spending money on whatever they want, whether they are rich or poor, as long as no one is suffering (eg children neglected). I'm not sure why some people are so judgmental about this.
It seems normal to me that if you have millions, you are bound to have a more expensive car/house/wardrobe than mere mortals.

Rich people are still people, and although it's easy to envy them in some ways, as others have pointed out, many of life's real assets like health and love and a happy family cannot be bought by money.

I agree I dislike the message in slogans like 'Because you're worth it' which imply that if you value yourself, you should spend a tenner on a mascara. Unfortunately I think this comes from advertising, but many do seem to fall for it.

Yes and 'she took enormous risks, even sold her house!' and if that had gone bosoms up people would have said 'what a fool' and none of us would have heard of her. There are thousands of people like that out there!

I have been an entrepreneur, in a green business, which was never meant to be a big money thing, but actually it could have been. I worked very hard, really enjoyed it, felt I was doing good in the world, raised money for charity, but if certain bits of luck had gone a different way, I could have made a lot more money out of it. There were also amazingly good bits of luck which sometimes brought in a good order. Although I thought I was a pretty good sales person I believe I had very little influence over final decisions in many cases, and in the end an unscrupulous greedy engineering firm involved in the design/manufacture of our star product stitched us up and sucked all the money out of the business in a legal battle. So I am not saying it is all down to luck and 'aren't you lucky' to be well-off, but you have certainly had plenty of good luck over the years, which combined with the undoubtedly hard work, has paid off.

As I said earlier, material wealth for myself is not something which turns me on, above being 'comfortable' and any extra would be for helping others. I don't begrudge HD her wealth or the way she spends it, but can see why it grates with people who may have worked hard and had bad luck.

I think it's great that people spend loads of money on useless tat. Keeps the economy moving. Better spent than hidden under the mattress.

And I am also a huge fan and slightly in awe of entrepreneurs. I wish I could be one.