"If you don’t like the rich, you can forget about ever becoming one of us."
The media loves to point out that “rich people are assholes.” Why do they say this? Because it makes poor people feel better about themselves. Don’t believe what you hear from the media. Why not find out for yourself? The majority of wealthy people I know are some of the nicest, happiest, most generous people I know. I challenge you to get out there and actually meet some of them and see if you find out differently. I don’t think you will. My mentor said to me years ago, “Sure, there are rich people who commit suicide, but I’m damn sure there are a lot more poor people who kill themselves than rich people.” Now, are there some rich assholes? Sure, there are rich people who are assholes, just like there are poor people who are assholes. The character of a person has nothing to do with whether she is rich or poor.
If you actually meet some rich people, you’ll find out they give back. They give to charities and often have businesses that provide for communities in terms of providing jobs, as well as tax revenue for the city and state.
How can they do it? Because they aren’t thinking ONLY about themselves. Since they have more than enough, they CAN think about other people and therefore make a difference in the lives of many. Rich people who use their wealth for the betterment of others can accomplish so much more, which brings even more success and happiness in other areas. Think about it. Look at Bill Gates—now you can say whatever you want about him, that Microsoft is a monopoly, that he’s greedy, that he’s “crushing small business” and taking over the world—whatever. I dare you to try to find anyone who has been MORE charitable than Bill Gates. In the years since Microsoft went public, Gates has donated billions of dollars to charities. I guess the only one more charitable would be Warren Buffet. He gives away 97% of his net worth—billions and billions of dollars!
