Do very wealthy people realise how fortunate they are?

[Nevergetflowers]

I know money doesn’t necessarily make you happy (it helps though!) but do very wealthy people appreciate/acknowledge how very fortunate they are, or do they take it for granted?
I live in a very expensive area (we just have a nice, but *Normal house) I tutor children often in multi million pound properties, stunning sea views, huge pools etc (I’m abroad)
At the weekend I went to a new place, it was incredible, the interior, views etc, I said to the parent ‘Wow, incredible house, so lovely’ in a nice way and he genuinely looked confused/surprised and then smiled and thanked me, a bit surprised as if ‘Oh yes, it is I suppose’
The people are often nice, but in all honesty, rarely look happy and tend to complain a lot. How can you not appreciate it all, when compared to the average persons stress & struggles (especially at the moment) and having all that beauty around you 🤷🏻‍♀️

I don't know do you realise how fortunate you are to have a roof over your head, food, clothing, Internet, access to free education and health care

He was probably playing it down in order not to sound boastful and he maybe felt awkward that you said it.

How grateful/gracious people are about what they have depends on their personality and upbringing, not on their level of wealth. There are both humble, grateful people and entitled people (and happy or sad/grumpy people) in all walks of life, so it makes no sense whatsoever to ask 'Do very wealthy people / very poor people do X?'

I think it's easier to appreciate what you've got when you don't have alot.
Sometimes having alot of money makes you lose sight of the simple things, you're too busy thinking about things several leagues above.

Somebody who has a nice big house probably won't appreciate their house the same as someone who has perhaps been homeless. They're going to appreciate any roof over their head as they know what it feels like not to have one.

I don't think lowly of wealthy people because of this though.
I actually find it quite awkward being 'wealthy' compared to many of my friends.
I struggle to talk about holidays we've planned for example as I just feel like I'm boasting.
I feel awkward driving my husband's Porsche ...
I know what people will say there, but I honestly do.

Money can't buy you happiness but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery - Spike Milligan

I agree with those saying it was just a bit awkward for him.

It really depends on the life you had. Money doesn't make those problems go away. No one has ever cared about me.

I had a really horrendous childhood full of abuse. I had a lot of struggles, sexual abuse and rape in my twenties.

In my thirties I inherited an unexpected largish amount of money.

I am still desperately unhappy. Money doesn't make suffering go away. Money doesn't make rape go away.

True poverty is lack of love not lack of money.

Money is a cushion from many of life's issues , poor housing, low income etc but wealthy people can still suffer clinical depression, terminal illnesses, old age and frailty , family estrangement etc so its not always sunshine and roses.
I don't think your comment was rude, I probably would have said the same. Maybe they were just having a bad day . Who knows, they may actually be mortgaged to the hilt and in piles of debt!!

This

Of course being wealthy does not shield you from every problem. But money makes it easier to ameliorate.

It's swings and roundabouts really. Yes on the outside I look really lucky, I'm healthy, as a family we are well off, kids go to private school and nice holidays, everything that comes with it but I'd give it all up tomorrow to have had a decent normal non abusive upbringing. I Look at those with lots of brothers and sisters, their parents still alive and a part of their lives and I'd give it all up for that.

It's not all about money for most people and yes we do get comfortable with what we have and I do feel surprised when people comment on the nice things we have but I then have to bite my tongue and not blurt out that it comes in the back of lots of heartache and pain and to some degree sacrifice and hard work.

That's not to say I don't appreciate that others have shit going on in their lives, emotionally or financially.

I inherited a large amount of money three years ago, and honestly I've been horrendously unhappy ever since.

I had a really terrible life growing up. Really awful. I feel getting a large amount of money in one way was really bad for me. My mental health wasn't great.

Having more money made me make more reckless and bad decisions.

Before I inherited the money I was working a stable job. After I inherited the money I quit the job for a couple of years and did some very stupid things for a couple of years.

When you have too much money , you have too many choices. And if you have any problems, the money exarcebates these, makes you have more money to indulge those problems. For example a drinker will have more money to drink to excess.

I have now gone back to work, but I am back at the bottom of the career ladder as I took a couple of years off and really did nothing. Looking back I made some very stupid choices after I got money. It can be good and bad

That’s not rude at all, how bizarre that someone would think that. It’s polite small talk and completely innocuous.

@Ursulaursula82 Why?

@Nevermindthesquirrels I haven’t posted anything nasty whatsoever? They are a really nice, down to earth family. I don’t mind if it makes me seem like I don’t come from a similar background-I don’t! I’m not ashamed about that or ashamed of myself, I’m secure enough to know that people are people and having money doesn’t make someone better than anyone I've been in so many gorgeous properties, but this one was particularly interesting in terms of architecture and quite breathtaking, so I said that 🤷🏻‍♀️He didn’t seem embarrassed or awkward at all, but as I said, surprised and with a look around and then almost recognition of ‘Oh, yeah, it is’

@Nevergetflowers I never said you did. I said people on his site do. However, even your OP wouldn't have been allowed if it was phrased 'Do poor people realise for fortunate or unfortunate they are?' I think your comment was awkward and unnecessary and I can't imagine how you'd respond if someone from a poverty stricken background came into your home and started commenting about your running water and electricity. The double standards are just wrong.

Probably not who you were asking because We're not rich but very comfortable. Our 6 bed house is paid for and we have plenty of money left after bill at the end of the month to save. Because we feel very privileged we now foster to try to give back to society. And we love it too.

People take lots of things for granted and don't realise how fortunate that are, I don't think it's limited to wealth. Health for example is a big one.

@Nevermindthesquirrels My comment was awkward and unnecessary? 😂Oh come in, do you never compliment another’s home? I could have been a person from a similar background and still completed it and been impressed by the architecture etc. I wasn’t some wide eyed person, marvelling at his place in complete shock 🙄

I think it's impossible to generalise about this. I've known wealthy people who are actually very humble and generous with what they have. I've known others who are appear to be completely entitled and miserable and oblivious to the advantages they have had that I haven't experienced.

Wealthy people are like anybody else. Some are nice, some are jerks.

What an awful post reeks of jealousy.
Well off ppl have usually worked hard to get where they are.

Why should they feel lucky they put the graft in.

@girlfriend44 Not jealousy at all, it was more from a perspective of wondering if, privately they sit and look out and realise what they have is not the average etc

Many people in minimum wage jobs work their arses off

Bizarre thought process. I would mention it as well, I would tell someone their property was stunning if I thought it was.

@girlfriend44

Jealous of what?

Im content with my own life. I don't envy others theirs, regardless of whether they worked for it not.

It's a known fact that most wealthy people were born wealthy any way.