<ul><li>Happiness Can Be Bought. But it’s more easily found. There are many gateway drugs to happiness, and money can buy many of them: cars, watches, sex, power, chocolate, or anything else that could genuinely fulfill you.</li><li>Everyone Has the Same Problems But rich people have worse ones. Money makes the vast majority of things easier. This comfort creates many internal problems which are very difficult to fix, over time.</li><li>Knowing People is More Valuable than Having Stuff. There are two sides to this one: Tactical: Relationships open doors.; Wellness: Diversity is the greatest asset of the rich.</li></ul>

3 Things Learned Growing Up Rich

<figure><img alt="" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/0*23BMHtOevqd" width="785" height="523"><figcaption class="hu hv cs cq cr hw hx bp b ft br fb" data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@jpvalery?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral" class="bv hy" rel="noopener" dir="ltr">Jp Valery</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral" class="bv hy" rel="noopener" dir="ltr">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure>I love talking about being in a rich family because 1) I always get a lot of flak for it, 2) no one believes me when they look me up and down, and 3) it’s an experience few people get to have, statistically speaking, which makes it interesting.So, sit back, try not to be blinded by the diamonds on my Rolex, and enjoy.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">1. Happiness Can Be Bought (Sort of)</h1>But it’s more easily found.You’ve heard this script before, of course, but you might not have heard it in context. Truthfully, there are many gateway drugs to happiness, and money can buy many of them: cars, watches, sex, power, chocolate, or anything else that could genuinely fulfill you. Thus indirectly, money can buy happiness.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">Money bought me Canada.</h2>Travel is something money can buy which could lead to happiness.I have an extreme hatred of hot weather. I prefer the thermometer to flicker between -20 and 10 degrees Celsius, year-round.This temperature intolerance is actually pretty disruptive. I have problems focusing, working, and generally living a happy life when I’m too warm for too long.The first time I was truly happy was when I went through a Canadian winter. I went to college in Edmonton, Alberta, and though I was only there for nine months, it was enough time to experience the transition from positive 20 to negative 40.This comfort in the cold weather instantly made me happier and calmer, which led to me forming the most valuable relationships I’ve ever known.But the point is I wouldn’t have been able to experience Canada, make all these priceless connections, and actually live in peace for the first time if it weren’t for money. Because in case you forgot, studying abroad is really expensive. Studying abroad in North America when you’re earning a currency as small as the Malaysian ringgit, on the other hand, is probably a top 2% kind of expenditure.And that’s just one of many examples I have of a monetary purchase sparking lasting, authentic joy. A Mac computer, which was a luxury when I bought it, paved the way for my career in branding and marketing. Going to an elite private school triggered my decision to invest heavily in writing, which is the reason I got my first job as an editor at a media company in Germany.The moral of the story is money can buy happiness if you know what you’re doing. Anyone who says otherwise just doesn’t have enough of it, yet.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">2. Everyone Has the Same Problems</h1>But rich people have worse ones.I like to lead with this sometimes because it tends to ruffle lots of feathers quickly and easily.The fact of the matter is this: Money makes the vast majority of things easier, which encourages/predisposes people to settle for comfort as opposed to growth. This comfort creates many internal problems which are very difficult to fix, over time.In other words, it’s easier to be spoiled if you’re rich, and being spoiled is the surefire way to crash and burn in real life.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">My dad is the perfect example.</h2>The man is easily in the top 1% of earners on this planet. By all accounts, he should have it all together. But when I compare him to my friends who are twenty, juggling two minimum-wage jobs, and don’t know what to do with their lives, guess who comes out happier?Wealth can be a source of many problems, first of all because of the responsibility you feel towards it. The average rich person spends more time thinking about money than the average normal person. Some of this thought is necessary, but your riches can easily consume your life.<BLOCKQUOTE>The problem is it’s so easy to chase more because it isn’t as clear that the upper extreme is harmful.</BLOCKQUOTE>In other words, everyone knows that not having enough money for food is objectively bad, but few people know that doing a job you hate for the sole purpose of growing your bank balance is harmful.The overall perception of wealth is too skewed and too powerful for most to realize that there are murky parts of the rich pond, too.I learned that everyone has the same problems, so it’s your framework for approaching the world that matters the most. Can you deal with disappointment? How do you conceptualize time? What are your core values, and how do you maintain them? How do you spend your time, and why? All these things matter more than your wealth.But as hard as it is to get rich, statistically speaking, the money is actually the easier path. Fixing yourself is harder.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">3. Knowing People is More Valuable than Having Stuff</h1>There’s two sides to this one: The tactical side and the wellness side.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">Tactical: Relationships open doors.</h2>You don’t need to have it, you just have to know someone who does.Growing up around people who have influence and know how to use it was one of the most valuable experiences I’ve ever had. It teaches you to be resourceful, not just in terms of your physical resources but also your connections.For instance, the main reason I got my first job as an editor, without any work experience or qualifications, was because I used my connections to some people in the company.I knew that my qualifications wouldn’t get me anywhere (because I had none). So to get this job, I had to bank on the relationships I built with various decision makers and employees of the company. In other words, I was more likely to get hired because I was a friend, rather than because I was qualified.Of course, I was actually well-equipped to do the job, as I proved very quickly when I got it, but the issue was my surface-level credentials (or lack thereof) would have turned people away before I could prove myself.The best part is you don’t actually need to be wealthy to take advantage of this. It’s just about building genuine human connections, which you can do no matter what.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">Wellness: Diversity is the greatest asset of the rich.</h2>The best part about being rich isn’t the caviar or the strippers, it’s the variety you can afford.As kids, my sister and I got to travel to Australia and New Zealand once a year, and stepping into such a different culture periodically was without question one of the reasons we turned out thoughtful, aware, and curious.Why is this so important? Because at the end of the day, wealth stored as wisdom has the most longevity.After all, maintaining wealth is actually pretty hard. You need to have a framework which recognizes the unique value money has in your life and sets you up to continue watering that tree, all while staying happy. And such a healthy wealth mindset comes from wisdom, which is derived from breadth of knowledge.Which is why I learned that it’s not so much what you own, it’s what kind of people you know. I mean, a rich doctor probably knows other doctors. But does he know farmers? Does he know fishermen? Does he know trust-fund babies? Does he know street food hawkers?Diversity of knowledge and the drive to continually expand it are some of the most positive traits you can possess.What’s my biggest takeaway after twenty years of wealth and counting?Money shouldn’t be placed on a pedestal. There are real problems out there, and this ain’t one of them.

I love being in a rich family because everyone thinks they know what it's like. After reading this article, you'll know that they don't. Speaking from personal experience, here are some of the best lessons I learned growing up wealthy...

Discover the world of business and economics.

economics

Economics

career

Career

I love talking about being in a rich family because 1) I always get a lot of flak for it, 2) no one believes me when they look me up and down, and 3) it’s an experience few people get to have, statistically speaking, which makes it interesting.

So, sit back, try not to be blinded by the diamonds on my Rolex, and enjoy.

You’ve heard this script before, of course, but you might not have heard it in context. Truthfully, there are many gateway drugs to happiness, and money can buy many of them: cars, watches, sex, power, chocolate, or anything else that could genuinely fulfill you. Thus indirectly, money can buy happiness.

Travel is something money can buy which could lead to happiness.

I have an extreme hatred of hot weather. I prefer the thermometer to flicker between -20 and 10 degrees Celsius, year-round.

This temperature intolerance is actually pretty disruptive. I have problems focusing, working, and generally living a happy life when I’m too warm for too long.

The first time I was truly happy was when I went through a Canadian winter. I went to college in Edmonton, Alberta, and though I was only there for nine months, it was enough time to experience the transition from positive 20 to negative 40.

This comfort in the cold weather instantly made me happier and calmer, which led to me forming the most valuable relationships I’ve ever known.

But the point is I wouldn’t have been able to experience Canada, make all these priceless connections, and actually live in peace for the first time if it weren’t for money. Because in case you forgot, studying abroad is really expensive. Studying abroad in North America when you’re earning a currency as small as the Malaysian ringgit, on the other hand, is probably a top 2% kind of expenditure.

And that’s just one of many examples I have of a monetary purchase sparking lasting, authentic joy. A Mac computer, which was a luxury when I bought it, paved the way for my career in branding and marketing. Going to an elite private school triggered my decision to invest heavily in writing, which is the reason I got my first job as an editor at a media company in Germany.

The moral of the story is money can buy happiness if you know what you’re doing. Anyone who says otherwise just doesn’t have enough of it, yet.

I like to lead with this sometimes because it tends to ruffle lots of feathers quickly and easily.

The fact of the matter is this: Money makes the vast majority of things easier, which encourages/predisposes people to settle for comfort as opposed to growth. This comfort creates many internal problems which are very difficult to fix, over time.

In other words, it’s easier to be spoiled if you’re rich, and being spoiled is the surefire way to crash and burn in real life.

The man is easily in the top 1% of earners on this planet. By all accounts, he should have it all together. But when I compare him to my friends who are twenty, juggling two minimum-wage jobs, and don’t know what to do with their lives, guess who comes out happier?

Wealth can be a source of many problems, first of all because of the responsibility you feel towards it. The average rich person spends more time thinking about money than the average normal person. Some of this thought is necessary, but your riches can easily consume your life.

The problem is it’s so easy to chase more because it isn’t as clear that the upper extreme is harmful.

In other words, everyone knows that not having enough money for food is objectively bad, but few people know that doing a job you hate for the sole purpose of growing your bank balance is harmful.

The overall perception of wealth is too skewed and too powerful for most to realize that there are murky parts of the rich pond, too.

I learned that everyone has the same problems, so it’s your framework for approaching the world that matters the most. Can you deal with disappointment? How do you conceptualize time? What are your core values, and how do you maintain them? How do you spend your time, and why? All these things matter more than your wealth.

But as hard as it is to get rich, statistically speaking, the money is actually the easier path. Fixing yourself is harder.

3. Knowing People is More Valuable than Having Stuff

There’s two sides to this one: The tactical side and the wellness side.

You don’t need to have it, you just have to know someone who does.

Growing up around people who have influence and know how to use it was one of the most valuable experiences I’ve ever had. It teaches you to be resourceful, not just in terms of your physical resources but also your connections.

For instance, the main reason I got my first job as an editor, without any work experience or qualifications, was because I used my connections to some people in the company.

I knew that my qualifications wouldn’t get me anywhere (because I had none). So to get this job, I had to bank on the relationships I built with various decision makers and employees of the company. In other words, I was more likely to get hired because I was a friend, rather than because I was qualified.

Of course, I was actually well-equipped to do the job, as I proved very quickly when I got it, but the issue was my surface-level credentials (or lack thereof) would have turned people away before I could prove myself.

The best part is you don’t actually need to be wealthy to take advantage of this. It’s just about building genuine human connections, which you can do no matter what.

Wellness: Diversity is the greatest asset of the rich.

The best part about being rich isn’t the caviar or the strippers, it’s the variety you can afford.

As kids, my sister and I got to travel to Australia and New Zealand once a year, and stepping into such a different culture periodically was without question one of the reasons we turned out thoughtful, aware, and curious.

Why is this so important? Because at the end of the day, wealth stored as wisdom has the most longevity.

After all, maintaining wealth is actually pretty hard. You need to have a framework which recognizes the unique value money has in your life and sets you up to continue watering that tree, all while staying happy. And such a healthy wealth mindset comes from wisdom, which is derived from breadth of knowledge.

Which is why I learned that it’s not so much what you own, it’s what kind of people you know. I mean, a rich doctor probably knows other doctors. But does he know farmers? Does he know fishermen? Does he know trust-fund babies? Does he know street food hawkers?

What’s my biggest takeaway after twenty years of wealth and counting?

Money shouldn’t be placed on a pedestal. There are real problems out there, and this ain’t one of them.

3 Things I Learned Growing Up Rich

3 Things Learned Growing Up Rich

CURATED BY

Related collections

More like this