Do rich people feel guilty?

[OneWiseAmberOP]

By rich I mean comfortably private school, buying luxury items and holidays on a regular basis witohut having to save up for it.

If you think you've earned your money and people are just jealous do you not see 'your' money came from extactive capitalistic practices and its taken from the pockets of people who are not rich...?

I wouldn't necessarily say we are rich but we are very comfortable and rarely have to think about what we purchase. I don't feel any guilt, why on earth should I? I do however recognise we are in a very privileged position which is one of the reason I now work in the voluntary sector earning a fraction of my earning potential in a role with a huge social value.

Oh no. Not at all!

And OP why are you referring to wealth derived from Exactive Capitalisitic Practices particularly?
Most peoples wealth doesn't come from the mining of Earth's natural resources! That's very niche.

I’m in the high earners category so very comfortable financially and don’t feel any guilt. I have worked very hard for this salary, not necessarily harder than people who get paid less but hard nonetheless. My job is to protect the data of our customers, to make sure that we don’t allow people who would scam and steal from them to have the information they need to do that. So I don’t feel that it’s worthless or harmful to anyone. i have no generational wealth or connections/networks who put me where I am, so I feel proud of myself for doing it myself.

I see no reason at all why I should feel guilty.

I suspect OP isn't well off.

I bet OP pissed around at school, didn't try hard, thought it was cool to be naughty in lessons and didn't do homework. Because of that OP probably got a handful of GCSEs, left school at 16.

Then worked in retail or hospitality, did the minimum possible, no effort or ambition to aim higher or put effort in to secure promotion. Had children young with a similar type of man.

Now is about 35 wondering how to find someone to blame for having a life where they are stuck renting a tiny house and have not much spare for luxuries.

Or OP could be rich as Croesus and just enjoys putting slightly provocative questions on Mumsnet.

Youre not rich so it doesnt apply to you.

Similar situation to @CathyBlowsBubbles above, though we didn't grow up on council estates, but both of us definitely not well off, and DH's childhood was often financially precarious. Our parents helped us a bit during uni and gave some money towards our wedding, but everything else we've earned ourselves. We could (but don't) pay for private school, we book holidays without really thinking about cost, have enough to overpay mortgage and invest. But it's from high income and so not the same as generational wealth; I imagine some friends who earn less than us might inherit substantial amounts that will eg pay off their mortgages with some to spare, which is not something that will happen to either of us.

I don't feel guilty, but I feel sad that it's getting harder and harder for people from our backgrounds to get the outcomes DH and I had. I would support higher taxes for top earners, even if it meant we paid more.

Nope. Why on earth would I feel guilty?

what a waste of time that would be

I'm very comfortable but I dont. I also am not rich at all, I have to budget and save, but im not struggling by any shot.

You do realise a lot of kids with learning difficulties and complicated home sittions are naughty and dont do their homework. So they get a handfgul of GCSEs and leave school at 16. Where they work in hosopitality. Its not ones fault, every child deserves a fair shot at life.

Like when you have a closet of birkins but then read about someone who cant buy what their 6 year old wants this cgristmas. That kind of guilt.

Goady OP but OK, I'll bite.

No, no feeling of guilt because I know how hard it's been worked for.

OTOH I would like to see this kind of lifestyle available to more hard workers. There are many vital jobs which are underpaid and undervalued by society.

That's why you are being asked to define what "rich" means to you. It's surely not an unreasonable question since you've started a thread on it?

Nope, not an ounce of guilt!

Maybe, I'm not sure what im referring to. Say Jeff Bezos, he makes his money of all of us. So does Kim Kardashian, bravuse all of us buy their products, they sell out information. Their wealth is made from us...
I figure is the same for all high paying jobs.

is Owen Jones bored today?

As Liberace put it "I cried all the way to the Bank"

Do people who have children feel guilty because of people who can't have children? Do able bodied people feel guilty over people with disabilities? You can tie yourself in knots over lots of stuff but what's the point

Mostly, you make your own luck in life. Study and work hard and you will reap the rewards. If you just wanting it all handed to you on a plate (unless of course inherited), then you’re going to be disappointed.

Do you feel guilty that you're not living in a refugee camp in Darfur? Do you ever buy anything made by people who are less fortunate?

Depends on the definition of 'rich" a multi million ££ tycoon, or just comfortable a nd not struggling.
I'm one the hated ",boomer inheriters"
My parents scrimped and saved and went without to buy our family home and my 2 siblings and I inherited, not massively but enough to be comfortable
Do I feel guilty? Do I hell 🤣🤣

What is 'rich'?

Both myself and dh come from working class 'heating or eating' backgrounds, never given a penny of help and there will be no inheritance.

We worked through uni, got good jobs and worked to progress. Critically we have saved for decades - never new cars, expensive holidays or a big house like my colleagues.

We now have plenty in investments and could probably give up work tomorrow and maintain our modest lifestyle.

We are comfortable and can buy whatever we want without worry, but we want very little because we've never been the aspirational type.

I do not feel guilty, I have worked for what I have but have also been fortunate with my health and to have been academically gifted. I do not think less well off people deserve to be there because they are stupid or lazy, although I do think some people make poor financial choices.

Whilst I don't feel guilty I do worry about the people of this country, not everyone can improve their lot the way I have and I worry about what happens to them. I do not mind paying more in taxes if it is used widely to benefit the country and lift people out of poverty.

I don't buy Kim Kardashian's products! I can't abide that family but not one of them is standing with a loaded gun against people's heads forcing them to buy what the Kardashians are selling.

I know some rich people and they definitely have no guilt. I think a previous thread that mentioned how we all typically live with In our means so even the rich compare and feel like they could have more. (Apart from I presume billionaires)
A lot of rich people do donate to charity though.

What an odd thread. Yes some wealthy people are handed money or making via dodgy means / putting others down but myself and my husband both worked ridiculously hard to get where we are. Him setting up a business which was a huge risk and I studied for years in a hugely competitive area. We are both from working class families who were the first to go to university. I don’t feel guilty at all. Our children aren’t spoilt - we give generously to various charity and husband is on the board for a local homeless charity. I just think “good for them” with anyone who has done well in life.

DH and I (similar to some pps) both worked full time for a combined total of 78 years. We have both paid shed loads of tax over the years and have never received any benefits apart from CB when DCs were young. We bought our first house 40 years ago and are now both retired with no mortgage (paid it off after 35 years.) We are now rich compared to some, average to others and poor to the super rich. We have three holidays a year. I think we've earned it after working tough jobs for 78 years.

I don't feel guilty. I don't feel we extracted money from anyone's pockets (I was a teacher for over 20 years.) I studied for a degree with 2 young DCs while DH worked away a lot and we both took chances and worked through the ranks to get jobs that paid well. And then we persevered in careers that were stressful with no excuses. We had some lucky breaks but no family money at all - everything we have we worked for.

Are you suggesting that communism would work better than capitalism OP? Because it doesn't have a great track record tbh.