We all hear about superstars, actors, etc. doing weired things, and going crazy because of the money. Everyone thinks: "If I were rich I'd save some money, invest, and not go crazy at all". But if we really think about winning a couple of million dollars, and becoming rich overnight, it turns out that we might not be as disciplined as we think we are... I think that some people won't be able to handle that kind of a big change in short time, what are your thoughts?
I think if you are nuts, you will be just as crazy with or without money. If you have money, you just get away with everything more easily. If I had money, I don't think I'd suddenly start breaking the law, or acting weird. I would probably be a little more "eccentric" than I am because I could afford to be.
I can't be sure, but of course there is a slight chance that could happen. I think it's easy to get a little bit more cocky when you have big money, since you can pretty much afford anything you want, and most people look up to you because of that. But I think if you are a certain type of a person, like me, who would worry whether or not a person is truly your friend because they like you for you, or if they like you for the money, I think I would become increasingly more introverted and private about my financial affairs. Preferably, nobody would ever know.
I'd probably do a couple of impulse buys but since I hate the idea of working (at an office or around too many people), I would want to stretch it as far as possible. Since my grandmother taught me the value of saving at a young age, it comes naturally. How others react may have an effect but I'd be prepared for those requesting handouts. My cousin won a lottery recently and cut himself off from family. Not that I need his money but it was a stupid thing to do.
Celebrities don't go "crazy" because of money, if that were the case all "rich" people would behave badly and end up in jail or at least on the front cover of the newspaper. Irresponsible people do irresponsible things regardless of what their income is. To answer the question though, big money would make me debt free and big happy.
I completely agree. I think often times the people who go crazy are the ones who have had a blessed life. If they don't know what it is like to be dirt poor (sometimes maybe middle class) than they are more likely to go off the deep end. I would improve my life if I had a lot of money and I would be more charitable and donate to the causes that meant something to me (like the animal shelter)
I don't believe that money changes people. It reveals what was already there. There are definitely people who can't handle being rich or having a lot of money. Having money doesn't automatically make someone financially savvy. I remember reading that most lottery winners go broke within a few years. There was a guy who won 3 million dollars when I was in college. He had to receive the payments spread out over 20 years. At the end of school year, he had to take a summer job waiter job because he had squandered his first year installment. I won't have any problem dealing with an influx of cash. I know exactly what I would do with it.
I think most people just don't have enough education and self discipline, but for someone who has those it wouldn't matter if there was a sudden shift in their finances whether it be for lower or higher because they will almost always be likely to adapt. Without these tools it would be risky but I think as long as the person is enjoying in a way that's not harming anyone else then it shouldn't be too bad.
Money can change people, but also losing money can also do the same. It wouldn't make me 'crazy' because I am sensible and have lost investments so know how it feels. It also depends on the personality of the person and also how materialistic people are. I don't really need anything and the only thing I would spend it on would be property and land and maybe some travel.
I honestly doubt that coming into hideous amounts of money would make me go crazy or make me have a personality transplant of sorts. I would initially go crazy doing some shopping and going on some lovely holidays, just to get it out of my system before "settling down" and doing more sensible stuff with it LOL However, I think whatever you become when you suddenly come into money, is what you really are. My family and friends would also not let it go to my head, they would ground me. Then again, there'd be no need, we're just not built that way.
I think it has more to do with maturity and if it's a sudden boost in finances, being overwhelmed by not having to worry anymore and going a little nutty on the spending. But actually going crazy.. like breaking laws and generally acting like a moron, is maturity.. and immaturity with tons of money is a recipe for disaster. Had I been given all the money I could possibly want in my teens or even my early twenties.. I would have been a monster. But today I live simply and enjoy the peace of it.. if I had all the money I could ever need given to me right now, I would live the exact same way and make sure my children could as well.
I would definitely buy a lot of stuff that I've been wanting to get but didn't have the money for it at the time, but I wouldn't go overboard and start buying properties and cars everywhere. Plus, if you think about it winning a couple million isn't really that much. Sure it's a lot more than you might have right now, but I think for people to really start spending crazy with their money it would have to be in the 10s if not 100s of millions. And of course it has to do with the maturity of the people too.
I'm not sure what you mean by a "blessed" life. Everyone had problems; everyone faces the same basic challenges in life, it's their awareness and perspective of their situation that determines how they react to things. A sudden gain in financial status definitely does not lead to being financially savvy. I agree money as such doesn't directly change people. It provides them easier access to things and if a person is immature, they aren't going to make good decisions about those things.
I mean financially. If you've had money given to you like that (see Paris Hilton), then you're more likely to not understand the value of the dollar.
I suppose it would depend on who your parents were and what kind of values they raised you with. We don't really know what people like Paris Hilton are like in real life. What we see on TV and what is printed in the tabloids is all for show. It's just theater.
Billions of dollars pocketed by the Big Pharmaceuticals yearly make people literally 'crazy' with their prescription drugs. With this one on stage, no one's laughing. The Big Pharmas are.
I agree with you and I believe that people who are not rich actually but their crazy behaviour shows what family background they are from.
Most definitely! People with a good foundation who've been taught self-control and a system of values would be much less likely to exhibit any kind of destructive behavior merely because they'd come into some money. Too bad more people in the world don't fall into this category!
Just the other day I met Alfred Ford (one of Henry Ford's grandson). He is a man who inherited a vast amount of wealth and he uses it to donate to the temples around the world. He told me that he was always searching for something other than money and he found the religion that we are in today. I think this is a wise way to use money. Personally, I don't think that I would go wild with money. I'll admit that I will be taking trips to places in the world that I've always wanted to visit. But I will also donate the money to temples and charities. I would also want to spruce up my old elementary school's gym. Some people definitely don't know how to control money though, that's for sure.
