February 27, 2006
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Rich or Poor
My sister and her husband own a home that is worth about a million dollars. I visited her once and couldn’t believe how much energy it took to get around that house. It was huge. Even if I was rich, I wouldn’t want to own a house like her house.
I also noticed in the few times that I visited her that her husband is never home. He is always working. It makes me sad that they have all that money and yet they don’t get to spend time with each other. I imagine his job is pretty stressful too. I am sure it takes a lot of effort to keep up that lifestyle.
I was raised poor. I don’t think I realized it at the time. By the time I was old enough to notice my dad made more money. It appeared to me that life was simpler when we were poor. The problem is no one wants to be poor.
Then there is the middle class. They work a ton and then don’t get the full benefits of their labor. They are trying to move up in their jobs and at some point come to the realization that they may never move any higher. They will often get into debt over their heads and they will need to keep working in order to pay those bills.
Is it easier to be rich, poor, or middle class?
Comments (196)
.
if you’re poor, you have nothing to lose
Poor and humble
middle
I think it depends, I do know money does not by you happiness, it can help, but if your miserable money isn’t going to make a difference
EASIER?
being poor is definitely the easiest — you don’t have to do ANYTHING to be poor.
try it! do nothing, and watch how poor you get, so fast!
none of the above. It isn’t easy to be human. It’s a strugge; that’s why we are seeking fulfillment. Money can accentuate happiness, but it will and cannot provide it.
it’s funny how we cry over america’s poor, while they are part of the world’s wealthiest.
Life is not easy…
Mother Theresa once said, “Poverty is for us a freedom.” However, being poor and in debt can be a very harrowing experience.
there’s no correct answer.
maybe to be rich but give all your money away so that you kinda are living poorly
problems come w each class. for the future if i had a choice, id choose to be middle. i dont want to be rich enough that my kids wont ever ever feel the true worth of a hard earned dollar. theyre gonna take their slice of humble pie if that means i gotta shove it down their throats.
They all have their problems. And if they don’t, then people create problems, to make their lives have more importance.
I would explain this further, but I’d like to be in the top 10!
Dayum.
Well Dan…Rich of course!!
Love, Candy
Poor.
Sorry for doing this Dan, I told myself I wouldn’t do it but, FIRST!!!! I was having a terrible day today. This just made my day :^)
P.S. I hope you know this is Kevin, the owner of the now closed down site Kevinisheaven.
It’s easier to be RICH, B*TCH!
It sucks to be poor though, I can tell you that.
I’d say middle class. You have to manage your money, but you have some to manage and you don’t spoil yourself. I’d say its a pretty sweet deal.
Eva.
I think it depends, on who it is and how they got to the level they’re at. Also, maybe where they live affects things. Money isn’t everything. It does help, but not always for the better. Just live well with what you have and don’t overdo it, and you’ll be happy. I think that each class has its own easy and hard parts and they vary from person to person.
“It is harder for the rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle” I guess in thinking about the truly long-term impact, I will take either poor or middle class.
Tim
Middle Class, think I!
> Poor to middle….. Somewhere to go, as in up, job/profile ~ wise, never expecting miles ‘n miles……..
Like all things that have sides, there are advantages and disadvantages.
But I would like to marry some rich man that inherited the money and the only work we would have to do is pay our maid and throw parties. Now THAT would be awesome. I don’t care how long it takes to get anywhere in the house.
middle class, probably.
but I think that it all depends on who you are. emotionally stable people can handle any socioeconomic level. it’s the unstable ones that are corrupted by money, or lack there of.
~~~megan
That’s a gay question in that it is totally and utter nonsensical
depends…i suppose its all about what kind of person you are
rich and humble
middle class– they get a little bit of everything, nothing to extreme. sometimes they can splurge on a few things but pay for it for a while, where when you’re, things can easily get taken for granted and when you’re poor, your opportunities are sometimes limited.
It’s easier to be thankful for where you are.
Look, the question is flawed. It’s not easy to live. None of these are easier; there are benefits and flaws in all of them, and it all evens out. Think about your own life; was it any easier at any time? If it was, was it because of money? Odds are no; other things made it easier. I’m not denying that being in debt makes your life harder; of course it does, it’s more stress. But so is managing money, especially if you have a lot of it and never had to develop that skill set. Trying to figure out the tax code because the government taxes you more. Et cetera. Stress and the like are inherent in any class.
It is the same.
I tend to think that being part of the middle class is the “easiest” of the several levels of our economic system; having lived the better part of my earlier life as part of the “poor,” or even “impoverished” class, and moving on to a more “middle class” plateau, I can honestly say that having just enough money is preferrable to having too little or, I would think, too much.
I tend to think of my family’s entry into the middle-class American society as being roughly 2-3 years ago. For my entire life, before-hand, we struggled to make ends meet, literally living — and sometimes not — from paycheck to paycheck. Our existance was one, big, sad bundle of cliches (cue accent mark), wrapped in a bit of sarcasm. During this years, I tended to associate God to the role of a small child, having his way with the wee ants below.
I don’t have actual numbers, but I would guess that out of every week, during this time in my life, I may have seen my father a total of 8-10 hours. That’s 8-10 out of a total 168 hours. He worked, worked, then worked some more, and after all of that was over, he went back to work. We didn’t really have much time together, though he would spend almost every second of that time we had together with me and my mother, whether playing, or just talking. We didn’t just pinch pennies; we ran them over, stomped on them, then grapped an old pogo stick just for good measure. Times were tough — much tougher than I ever would have wanted things to be for any of us. My parents did their best (my mother worked 9-10 hour days as well).
When we moved from the lower, to middle-class, things changed a great deal. At this point in my life, while we don’t have money for most luxuries, we have enough money to get by without worrying where our next meal would come from; how we would pay the utility bills; whether or not we’d be able to stay in our home the next day. I see my father much, much more — our family life has vastly improved.
I know many people who live in “high-class” families — big money-makers, and big-spenders. Some seem to have fine home lives, while others have the same sort of relationship with their parents as I did with my father, during our time in the lower-class. Where does their money come from? As I see, many of their parents spend as much time outside the home, struggling to keep their family in that class; to keep up appearances; etc. I haven’t lived in this class, so I can’t really speak from personal experience — only my own.
All that said, I do, again, think that the middle-class American is the ideal thing to be. You don’t have to worry about how you’re going to get by, but you don’t have the burden of excess funds either; my current economic situation allows me the basic comforts of a material society, but has never allowed me so much freedom to dive into these trivial things that I’ve lost touch with the world around me, beyond the next daimond-studded pair of shoes, flat-screen televisions as large as a small vehicle, name-brand this, that, and the other, and so forth. I rather like this place I’ve found.
Stephen
Money makes life less stressful, but happiness gives you true joy.
Life is what you make it, my friends. ;-p
It is easier to be feline
ryc: thank you
poor. im poor and proud. id never want to be rich or apart of the middle class.
EASIER??? Rich.
Poor by far, been there, done that, didn’t like it…mm, mm
ok, I’m a dork, it’s easier to be rich…except you stress over maintaining your money…
rich or poor. rich in that if your lucky enough to make it into this bracket then you dont have to work so much. and poor because you live simply and tend to spendmore time enjoying yourself then working. but poor sucks because you cant buy much. so rich is best this all comes down to opinion. middle class sucks though.
its never easy. no matter what social/economical class you’re in.
i don’t think its easy being poor. But perhaps its when life is most simple. like you just need food, shelter and clothes.
as you gain wealth those things get more complicated.
i think its easiest being wealthy from the standpoint of not having to worry about life in general. but with wealth, comes more responsibilities and complexities.
btw: the median home price in southern california is umm $600,000 yikes!
therefore i am poor LOL
It all depends on the people.
Middle class. (If Bush does not take it all away!)
I would like to be rich. Thank you.
The grass is always greener…
If you’re rich, you don’t have to freak out if your car needs new breaks, but managing tons of money is a heavy responsibility, and being rich is very expensive. But being middle class has it’s difficulties, and I’d never claim that it’s easy to be poor.
What about “upper middle class.”
I added some enthusiasm.
middle class, because when the poor try to otherthorw the upper tier, they never kill you off.
or, ya know. completely filthy rich. upper upper upper upper upper class. that’s fun too.
Like spidergrass (mah bestest buddy) said, each has its pros and cons.
life is never easy no matter what your class is…rich middle or poor have there advantages and disadvantages…when your poor…you appreciate life a little more and what it really means…the simple things of life please you like going to a movie…but then again you have to worry about how you are going to pay your bills and what you may have to eat…i think middle class has it the easier than all just because if your middle class…you still appreciate the simple things in life…know what its like to really work for what you have and be proud…..but they still have their worries….where as the rich im sorry to say….usually dont appreciate the simple things in life….espcially if they were raised that way…they dont know what its really like to need or really want something..not to mention really know whats its like to work for what you have…now if you made yourself rich and worked for it…good for you you still know what the real world is like and you must of really worked for what you have…the rich do work hard to stay rich….so in other words….no one has it easy no matter who you are and how much money youhave
Probably middle. I know we’re middle class and don’t have too many problems. We know to live within our means.
hmmm tough one…
poor people have it the hardest i think, as do middle class people.
i’d be upper middle class so i could have the benefits, spent time with people, and not be a total workaholic.
It depends, but I’d say that it’s generally easier to be rich. But they all have their individual problems.. I’d rather be rich than middle class or poor.
The questions is, can we be content no matter what our circumstances?
Middle class…
i was raised in a middle class household. i prefer to be that way and stay humble. not worrying too much that i’d get abducted or killed just because somebody’s after my money (if i were million-dollar rich). rich people have problems entrusting their love too, because they hold back thinking that the other person is just after the wealth.
when you’re poor, the only thing you have to worry is the food to eat and how you’re going to make ends meet. it’s so much simple
God bless you today, Dan!
The goal in life is not to be rich enough to be envied or poor enough to be damned, you want to be right in between…
ryc: Oh darlin! We were playing a game of whimsy and I was challenged to comment here, I think 3 times. I can’t be sure, I’ll have to go back and check. I hope I didn’t offend you and that you got a giggle. We couldn’t resist playing around with the theologoical hottie of xanga!
That, and I’ll do almost anything on a dare. I’ll say almost anything for 25 cents too. Cheap at the price I say.
You take care!
Nothing’s really easy. Being poor, you’d have to struggle to survive. Middle class is ho-hum, you know, just having enough for life and a little extra. Being rich would probably mean one has a highly stressful job…
Perhaps middle class is the “easiest”, but I doubt being poor would be. It’d be creepy to not know if you’d have enough money for food and shelter…
RICH.
(Money in its proper place is a huge blessing that adds no sorrow. Psalm 112, Proverbs 3:, 1 Timothy 6:17. Having money makes most things more fun and enjoyable.)
Its easiest to be poor in todays welfare state.
That being said, I’ll take the workload that comes with wealth; you can do so much more with it.
middle probably.
(But in the end, it’s God, and what you did for God, and family what matters most.)
being a kid its better rich… adult, middle class…never good to be poor.
I closed my site because my mom found out about xanga and thought I was on drugs.
I am a struggling middle class person in the Detroit area. That means I fear for my economic health because my commission-based business is lousy, can’t get a need-based scholarship for my 3.95 average senior (even though I don’t have enough college money in the account), and can’t afford half of the medical bills my J has run up in the last few years. I have pared down to the bone, and will be divesting soon of anything that continues to cost me money. I’d rather be on one end or the other of the spectrum.
Rich
I think each level has it’s own stresses.
I think much more than money, it is your attitude about it that makes the difference.
For example… I have 2 friends who have the exact same attitude about money– they don’t realy care that much about it, they kinda just go with the flow, no real planning as far as spending, just whatever. And they usually spend aq decent amount of money doing stuff with friends. One of those friends is on the road to being very very well off. The other is a high school drop-out who’s been working odd construction and welding jobs for the past several years.
Both seem just as happy with their socioeconomic status.
You can be poor and spend your time lusting after the big bucks, or be happy with what you have and living simply.
You can be a millionaire who works too much to enjoy his money and family, or choose to work little, give to charity, use the money to have fun in life and spend time with the people that matter.
You can be middle class and worry about moving up the ladder, or choose to reject the incresingly higher standards of what’s “needed” and just enjoy what you have.
See what I mean? It’s not your level that matters… it’s how you feel about it.
We live very well off compaired to others.
I like the way we live. I suppose it is upper middle class.
Amanda
in other words… you gotta be happy with what you have, and not lust after all the things you don’t. If you get stuck with the latter, you never get to where you wanna be b/c there’s always more stuff to get.
The grass always seems greener on the other side…some people work really hard to be as rich as they are, some don’t. Some who are poor work really hard and some don’t. I don’t think anything in life is really very easy.
I’d like to be rich though. Just to know what it’d be like to not have to worry about saving my money all the time.
neither/none
I will be poor my whole life, and not care for a minute, as long as my Jonathan is by my side. If we strike it rich (yeah right), we’ll still live in a average little house, and cook our own meals, and wash our own clothes. Money isn’t what’s important. We’re already as wealthy as can be. Our souls are safe in Jesus’ arms. Our hearts are held tight in the hands of the one we love. Our future may not be certain, but it is sure to be fun and full of love.
Aww yeah I have an awesome life.
None of the above. Life isn’t easy… I guess it was never supposed to be. I noticed that some of those above me said that, If your poor you have nothing to lose. Somehow, That just makes me sad. I think if you go through life, but never have goals or hopes… It must be a pretty sad, lonely life.
So actually, I chose middle class. I would rather have something to strive for, than already have it, or not a chance to have it.
I would have to say rich. If you are that rich, you can just retire early and spend all that time with your wife. Plus, your wife won’t have to work.
Lower middle class. Before my dad got a steady job he worked delivering papers and as a cook. My mom was a part time nurse. We lived in a house not bigger than a trailer, but my dad was a much happier man then. He didn’t have to take round-the-clock pills and he was hardly ever in a bad mood. It makes me sad to see how hard he works and yet he doesn’t get what he should.
I think we can be content and enjoy life, regardless of our income level.
I have seen people in each of the financial positions who were leading complicated, cluttered, troubled lives where priorities were poorly ordered. For them, there was no time for the things that really matter. But they didn’t realize that there was a better way and that they would be happier in it.
It seems to me that the real issue here is simplicity. A simple lifestlye is the best, regardless of the income bracket. It is generally available to anyone who pursues it. There is wisdom in the saying that less is more.
Life is hard anyway you spin it. As long as you are healthy and are loved money doesn’t matter. That’s not to say i wouldn’t like to have the freedom to buy myself, my friends, and my family nice stuff, but its not a priority
poor
It is better to be rich if you have the wisom to rule over your money nd not be owned by it.
Where does your sister live in her huge million dollar house. In New York City, that money buys you the janitorial closet in the local YMCA.
I’ve only been one of those, so I really can’t say what it is like to be any other way. Therefore,
I don’t know.
And I can’t wait till the news is reporting that the Nebraska Powerball winners are already broke. Thats what usually happens.
A fool and his money…
uh, life is simpler when you’re poor? i’d think twice about that statement, there! i guess it really depends on how you’d define each thing.if you’re defining poor in relative terms, such as not having as much money as the next guy but have enough to survive, then yeah, i can see that as being a simpler life. but if you’re talkin’ poverty, um, i wouldn’t say that’s simpler. it’s hard to say, too, cuz some could be “poor” economically, but rich in happiness; that’s how my mom described her life in the philippines. but then you got the really rich elite who have hella money, but not enough of the happiness that money can’t buy them and that can take a toll on them emotionally and mentally. but then again, they’d have enough money to go to shrink. and as for the middle class…i grew up middle class. it was relatively “easy,” i guess. i’ve never been on the extremes, so i don’t have a frame of reference. but it seems like they would have it the easies cuz in this society, they’re practically invisible. it’s the low-income folks and the rich who get the most attention. the poor want the money and the rich wanna protect their own money. how sad that money in this society makes the world go ’round.
Life isn’t easy. Trust God and he will lead you through this life and into the next. This life doesn’t matter…..people sometimes just don’t understand that, but it doesn’t. We are here to serve God and spread his truth and that is all.
Prov. 30:8,9
Give me neither poverty nor riches. Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich I may deny you, and say “Who is the Lord?” And if I am too poor I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.
Easy can go both ways.
Rich, you won’t have to worry about money problems, and you can quit/retire earlier, and be able to spend more time with your lover
Isn’t the grass always greener on the other side? Care for your own lawn/life and you’ll be happy no matter the income level.
the upper side of middle class… live comfortably but still get to spend time together
Baby Consumption is the easiest!
poor
rich. if you’re an athlete, you get to do what you love, and get paid millions for it.
Rich.
I belive its easier to be middle class
thats how my family is, and tho we work hard the benifits are rewarding and leave a good feeling behind
we have everything we need and thats enough for me
It is only easier from the others perspective they all have their difficulties and challenges
poor, but one would have to have a peace of mind
live to work …
or
work to live ?
It all depends on the circumstance. If your poor and without debts then you worry about daily survival, if your middle class without debts then you worry about what you can have more of, andif your rich and without worries then you worry about keeping your finacial keepings.
As I see it:
Money isn’t everything…but the lack of is!
poor-middle
i think its according to your personal preference. some ppl ur minimalists, and some are decedant. so it varies i guess. i know one thing for sure being poor sucks. i think worrying about money is the worst. it’s terrible and pathetic. i see becoming rich(which i aspire to be) is more for freedom purposes.i want to have enough money so that i wouldn’t have to worry about it like most poor ppl do.i’m not a materialistic person nor am i impress but luxury or decedance. i think ur a lot more free to do things you really want to when you are rich. when ur poor(which i am but,won’t be for long) there are restrictions and limit on the not only the things you want but the things you need. although i believe the in some ways,money = freedom, MONEY DOES NOT EQUAL HAPPINESS.
Rich. Middle class people tend to work like crazy, and poor people have all kinds of stressful things to worry about
probably poor. My husband used to make good money, gets laid off from jobs, pay is not that good and now I am in debt with lots of bills and hes out of work. I def understand. Its much easier being poor!
Middle class.
God Bless,
Right Winger
It doesn’t matter how much or how little money you have… as long as you have Jesus, you’re rich. And THAT’S what matters.
there’s no easy way.
but i’d say middle.
RYC: everyone but me!
Both are bad and good. I’m middle class. I like it just fine.
hmmm.. tough question.. i guess i’ll choose the middle class.. i came also from a poor family and me and my siblings strived so hard to overcome it… it is easier to live in a middle class family… and i don’t agree with Mr. Dan about the middle class getting debt into their heads… as a matter of fact, i guess the middle class are the one who gets to settle their debts… rich people are the one who gets so much debts.. the richer you are, the more debts you have..
thanks for the prayer Mr. Dan.. have a nice day and God bless..
im in top 100 again.. what an accomplishment.. lol
rich
Easy to be rich, but better to be middle class. Moderation is best. You learn to have a working living, yet you don’t struggle severely.
[ariana]
I don’t really think that that is a good definition for middle class. The way i know it middle class just means in the middle; you are able to pay all of the bills and live, but there isn’t a large amount of money that can randomly be wasted on big houses. For that definition middle class. For yours rich.
It’s easier to be debt free. This question should be answered differently by everyone. For it is written, “If you can be trusted with a little, you can be trusted with much”
whoever saids it’s easier to be poor wasn’t poor as an adult.
it’s easier to live richly!
how cheesy but true
I honestly don’t think there is an easier. Everyone struggles with finances to some extent. The poor because they don’t have, the rich because they have too much and the middle class because they’re in the middle.
I think of the Psalm, “Give me neither riches nor poverty. Or I may say I don’t need You, or I may steal and dishonor the name of my God. (okay loose paraphrase)
Just depends on the person. Too me, being rich sounds easiest. Sure I would always be in fear that someone wanted to kill me for my money, but that’s why God created gated communities. (Just kidding.) Some people are very foolish with their wealth and cause themselves all sorts of grief. Who knows? I could turn out to be one of them.
Being poor sounds hard. I take meds which would cost me about $500+ a month if I didn’t have insurance. Having spent some time on the gov’t dole, I can say that it’s very hard to do so when you have a conscience. They made me feel like a crook just for cashing the check. (Your experience may vary.) I don’t want to go back to that.
A life of wealth and ease isn’t something I strive for. If wealth comes my way — awesome. I hope I’d use my excess to help others.
The “easy life” isn’t always a “happy life” — and between the two, I’d rather be happy.
Middle class, I think. Your kids won’t be as spoiled as they would be if you were rich; but you wouldn’t be struggling as much as you might if you were poor.
I’m not sure. It depends upon what you mean with “rich.”
I don’t know for sure–I think they all have their own difficulties and potential for a worthwhile life.
Rich seems easier, but then money can’t buy happiness.
Middle class people are usually struggling to make it, but can usually live comfortably.
Poor people can get public assistance, but they have a tougher time making ends meet.
So I don’t know which is better. I think it really depends on what you consider “rich” and “poor.”
The grass is always greener on the other side.
Money doesn’t matter. It is where you place your trust, your happiness, your contentment, and your faith. The money is not the root of evil, but the love of it is the root of evil. Just as is any love placed above God.
hmmm
it depends on many factors mainly
1.how much ACTUAL work you do
2.how much time you get to spend with the people you care about
3.if you have everything you need and maybe a little better then that
4.what your personal take is on it
personally speaking i’d prefer more of an upper middle class which is pretty much what i am now but even if i wasnt it’s what i’d want because you get what you need and a little more then the norm of what you want sort’ve shall we say a balance?
poor is simpler that’s for sure. middle class and rich…think i’d rather have poor.
It’s all relative
doesn’t really matter both have pros and cons the way you describe them.
I always find it funny, that all these rich people have huge houses and one or no children…what is such a huge house for? I think its all a matter of perspective, me I’m content where I am, small not huge house, bills paid every month and a baby. Yay!
No matter where you are, life is a challenge. The rich do not need to worry about basic necessities. The middle class are comfortable, but never completely at peace monetarily and the poor are struggling to get enough to eat. I think the key is being satisfied with what you have ie being poor in spirit.
Obviously there is no right answer. To be poor is to feel hopeless, to be middle class you feel stuck, no where to go. Rich, well it would be stressful in some way is suppose. But my vote lies with middle class. I live in a largely manufacturing town. When you work in a factory you rarely ever get promoted. You go in do your job come home, day after day. You know you will work the same job until retirement. Your pay raises barely meet the rise in cost of living . I have been all but rich, let me try that one and then I can give you a answer.
I think it doesn’t matter so long as you’re content and thankful for whatever God’s given you. Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred. Probably I’m not the first to quote those verses, but I don’t have time now to go through all 139 comments. I’d prefer middle class, personally.
lIFE IS MUCH EASIER FOR THE WEALTHY. DON’T KID YOURSELF
Gotta be content no matter what the circumstances.
It would totally be easiest to be rich.
You would never have to work.
Or do anything..like…ever.
Middle class is easiest… maybe rich. But when you’re poor, you learn to appreciate things more.. you learn to see the world beyond laptops and ipods and fancy cars and see what really matters. I think being poor is more fun than being rich even if it’s not easy.
depends on your outtake of life..and how u want to live it.
u can be poor and have nothing or you can be rich and have nothing. u can even be middle class and have nothing. even though money makes the world go around.. and makes it easier.. u can lose everything in a blink of an eye.
blehh. too many homes down here that’s worth a million. it’s the property value nowadays i tell u!!! florida is losing a lot of its natural beauty
… too many houses being built.. too many trees and lands being cleared off just so people can have more homes. too much commercial in it all.
hmmm… i honestly would rather be rich though. it will make life easier. i hate working -_-
Rich … you can do so much more with money … like help others.
How is poor easy. Is it easy to go to bed when you are hungry? Is it easy to live when you don’t know if you are gonna be put out of your house? Is it easy when you don’t have a jacket and it is raining outside?
Being poor is not humble … it’s just plain poor!
It’s the condition of your heart.
Are you a giving person or a stingy person? Are you a cool person … compassionate or a jerk?!
If you are a giving person and rich … you can do so much more than the poor person who things they are being humble by not having any money, but not doing a darn thing! Eventualy it will be the person with some money helping them!
The reason that it would be harder for a rich man to enter heaven is just his attitude towards money … is it more important than God. If he puts God first (that does not mean that you have to give all your money away and be poor) then no prob.
If you are poor it’s easier to serve God … you don’t have too much of anything standing in the way.
^^ wow my spelling sucks … ha ha
why don’t they include spell check?
It’s easier to be rich with good values and reasonable expectations.
It’s way easier to be rich but unfortunately I’m in the middle class =
We all share our problems.
I guess I would be happiest middle class but I can say that most of the people I know that have a lot of money are very unhappy and lonely.
No matter the amount of money or lack of it can not fill any void we carry in our hearts.
As to the question… I’m not sure it matters. All have pitfalls and glories. In this life I’d say having wealth is the “easiest”. As to eternal life, I’d say having wealth in this life makes eternity the most difficult to lay hold of.
I think middle class is easiest. Having been all of those (poor, middle class, and rich) I say hands down, middle class was easiest.
it is easier to be rich. even if you have a mental illness (which knows no boundaries) it is easier since you can afford whatever treatment you need. the poor have some social programs to help them if you are poor enough. the working poor and the lower middle class have it the worst, since they are too ‘well off’ to qualify for any assistance, but too poor to afford things like health care (my health insurance will only provide 26 sessions total with a mental health professional, and there is a max benefit if you have any other sort of illness).
plus, the working poor and lower middle class are stuck in unsafe neighborhoods, whereas the rich can live wherever, and the poorest can qualify for subsidized housing which is often in nicer areas (due to state legislation).
I DON’T THINK IT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH MONEY, IT’S HOW YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE. YOU CAN BE DRIVEN BY THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR OR YOU CAN BE DRIVEN BY WHAT MATTERS THE MOST TO YOU. I KEEP GOD FIRST, FAMILY SECOND & THEN EVERYTHING ELSE COMES AFTER THAT. IF YOU WANT A BETTER LIFE JUST ENVISION YOURSELF IN THAT LIFE & WORK ON GETTING WHAT YOU WANT, IF YOU SETTLE FOR STATUS QUO THEN I GUESS THAT IS WHERE YOU WILL ALWAYS BE.
It really depends on the mindset you take on life. If you just want and want and want it’d be really hard being poor cause you’d always want things.
No one wants to be poor.
As for having money- I suppose it depends on how you get it.
((( GRANDMA HUGS )))
Lori
How easy life is a matter of perspective. Everyone is going to think their life is hard and stressful unless they are humbled by someone in a much more difficult situation. Everyone is going to think their life is easy and great unless they are dwarfed by the display of luxuries of the upper class. It doesn’t matter what class your in… its just matter what other statuses in society you tend to refer to more.
How easy life is a matter of perspective. Everyone is going to think their life is hard and stressful unless they are humbled by someone in a much more difficult situation. Everyone is going to think their life is easy and great unless they are dwarfed by the display of luxuries of the upper class. It doesn’t matter what class your in… its just matter what other statuses in society you tend to refer to more.
I’m going to be honest. When my husband and I started out we were poor. Welfare helped with rent, food, and health for our family. The more my husband worked and made of course we made less and less of benifits. And it got harder and harder.. I remember when we use to get around 300-400 a month worth of food stamps. Man.. how I wish I had that now. There is a big diffrence buying your food with real money. You don’t get as much. And you get all the “un healthy stuff” because its just alot cheaper. Our kids ate better when the state helped us than they do now. We make too much for food stamps.. We make to much for reduced lunch. We make to much for any help at all. And man.. we need it. This household always have top Ramen in the house.. and right now. There’s not much in the fridge.
Christina
With wealth comes great responsibilty.
It is a fool who does not give back what he has been given.
But the poor must strive to not steal or be enyious of the wealthy.
I think it is the choice of the person to whether they make their life hard or easy concerning the dealings with their money.
I’m middle class but live as though I were poor
being rich would make life easy… or so I think. I am middle class
Middle class is good because you are finacially secure but dont have enough to complicate you life.
None are “easier”… They are just different from each other. With every situation comes it’s own set of struggles. If you’re poor, you will worry about the next meal. If you’re middle class, you’ll struggle with placement (saying you’re “middle class” really doesn’t cut it for most…), meaning that you are not “rich”, and you’re not “poor”, you’re somewhere in the middle… But you work with people above and below you… so where do you really fit? And can you reach up and make the “rich” bracket? The “middle class” means that you have enough to want more. If you are rich, you are generally disconnected and distant. Why? Because you have no idea who is really your friend, and who is wanting to “get ahead” in life.
I’ve read about lottery winners now living alone and on welfare because their family and friends turned on them. I also have heard the stories of people trying to “get their break”, and being held down in the lower class. I have also heard the confusion of living in the middle and wanting more.
This is why we cannot focus on the money, and what bracket we are in. The problem in each of these is that we are working so hard for our placement in man’s world… to find our place in the life olympics…
If we seek true fulfillment, and develop ourselves into the people that we are designed to become; then what bracket we fall into is no longer important… The common challenges have already been addressed.
So, the easiest place for us to live is in gain prosperity in our soul. The hardest place for us to live is in seeking prosperity in material.
I’ve been on both sides of the fence and have fond memories of wearing both second hand clothing and wearing only European brands from Saks. I could go either way. Heck, put me anywhere in the world, and i’ll make the most of what i have. Til this day, i like to mix it up. Mc Donalds one day, Rib-eye at the finest restaurant in NY the next.
Just having returned from Mexico, I can tell you that the poor people are largely happier than most middle class Americans in the US. I assume that this would apply to the upper class US citizens as well.
They don’t have as much, so they don’t have as much to worry about. They are healthier and value the more simple things like family, friends, and their faith.
L,r
Easier to be rich, because then working is a choice and not a necessity. Happiness, on the other hand, depends on the individual and is really only loosely associated with wealth (or lack thereof).
always been middle class, I can’t even imagine being poor or being rich. Fact of the matter is that human beings will NEVER be happy with what they have. Whether they’re poor middle or rich.
Growing up poor, I know sometimes there are stress’s over lack of money…..but, It does seem easier with less money to deal with and fuss over.
I would say none of them are easy. They all come with their own sets of problems.
money will not buy you happiness,but it can certainly gain you things in life that you might not have been able to if you were poorr…
the grass is always greener on the other side
They say that money isnt everything, but id like to see you live without it.
hey it dosent matter how rich or poor or middle u are! is as long is life make u happy!
It aint easy bein any of em…but rich, poor, money don’t make da man, the man makes himself…there are more important things in life than money, like girls and family, you know that kinda stuff
I would say middle-class. Being poor you can barely survive. Being rich, brings a lot of fame and trouble you wouldn’t want.
WHEN YOUR RICH you can lose a lot, and not care, and plus they dont have to work!
interesting
it’s easiest to be rich because of course you don’t have to monitor your spending and you never go hungry. the end
If you are rich, you have more expectations to live up to. I am poor and it doesn’t really phase me that much. Except when you are in a rich enviroment.
random propz
Any of them can be easy if you learn the value of a dollar, and get some money handling skills. I, personally, would rather just be content.
It’s easier to be rich.
Easier? Rich.
For some reason I want to say that it is easier to be rich IF you hit the job jackpot.
There is no correct answer.
It was actually less stressful when we were poor.
When our kids were growing up I chose to stay home. We went without a LOT of things. Then my husband was laid off for 6 months. It was sad….but I don’t think my kids ever realized we were so poor. We managed to have fun. We played alot of board games and invented things to do.
I miss those days.
I’d say upper middle class.
You get a good education, have a pretty decent job, and can live a normal life (unless you pretend you are richer than you are, in which case you turn into a workaholic) and save up money. Always live below your means and you’ll be happy, no matter how much money you make. I learned this the hard way.
The important thing is to have a roof over your head, a safe place to sleep and enough to eat – along with people who love you & you love in return. Rich, poor, middle class is not the issue….. Not truly. Accepting what one has, finding satisfaction in honest pursuit of a living and being able to sustain one’s self and family is the thing that would make most people content. Note I said “accepting”. The reason we are not content is because we struggle for more than what we have or need – we don’t accept less but stife for more. Yes, I’m guilty too – and part of the struggling lower middle class that will never get ahead. Peace
It all depends.
I think I would rather be poor and spend my life stealing to survive. I mean, the rich have to worry about taxes, what is a tax break, will they go broke if the market crashes. The middle class is just fucked no matter how you look at it.
But the poor.
Once you hit rock bottom, its not that the only way you can go is up. But you dont really have to worry anymore. Hitting THE bottom means that you are FREE.
the less you want the easier your life is. we always seem to want more than we can afford no matter how much we have.
“Easier” is a relative term, therefore the question cannot be definitivly answered.
rich, obviously!
http://www.catholicworker.org
I’ve been rich and poor, and believe me, rich is better.
“one man acts like he is rich and has nothing, another acts like he’s poor, yet has everything” “A man’s riches may ransom his life, but a poor man hears no threat”
King Solomon (I am reading a proverb a day, and these are right next to eash other in chapter 13.)
MIDDLE