Curb Zone - View Single Post - "Rich are getting richer, poor are getting poorer"???

donau · 04-22-2006, 08:33 AM

Some very true and valid opinions here. This time too many to start putting the quotes on in this comment.

A few more thoughts about the level of income vs. effort put in. My parents in Finland whom both are long since retired put in about the same effort to get each other educated. But the choice of professions, and the careers they brought with them, allowed my father to have a much greater income, and on top of that, with a lot less work.
I myself have been in IT for about 25 years after first trying out another career path for a couple of years. During that time, being an employee of a regular company gives me an income, the level of which I would imagine most people can guess. Nothing great, but enough to be thankful for. There was a couple of years that I was lucky enough to be able to do some consulting work. During that time, with the same effort that I am putting in today, I was regularly earning double what I am earning today, and for one year, four times what I am earning today. But that year I cashed in on some stock options. The point here being again: LUCK has a lot to do with everything. In case someone wonders why I stopped that lucrative job: A nasty medical condition with my wife has gradually become so bad that she needs around the clock care, and my current employer is allowing me to work from home. And of course I am extremely grateful for that. Another example about money not always being the thing that counts.

I am not saying that being lucky is unfair. Not at all. Good for those who are lucky. I am happy for everyone who is.

In my opinion, skillful (and skillful is the key word) investing is the only way to accumulate wealth, at least in my circumstances. And if everyone did this, the rich would get richer, and the poor would also get richer, just not quite as fast as the rich, as Roberto said earlier on.

Luwalira pointed out SA. Since I lived there myself for 12 years, I would be interested in hearing Martinbo's thoughts on this topic as well. My own family members (from my wife's side) have just about all been forced to be entrepreneurs, i.e. start their own businesses because regular employment is mainly offered to those whose families were oppressed for so long. Amazing how this turn of events have actually made them all even better off than they were before.

04-22-2006, 08:33 AM	#17 (permalink)
donau Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Winston-Salem, NC USA Posts: 1,237 Thanks: 121 Thanked 46 Times in 37 Posts	Re: "rich are getting richer, poor are getting poorer"??? Some very true and valid opinions here. This time too many to start putting the quotes on in this comment. A few more thoughts about the level of income vs. effort put in. My parents in Finland whom both are long since retired put in about the same effort to get each other educated. But the choice of professions, and the careers they brought with them, allowed my father to have a much greater income, and on top of that, with a lot less work. I myself have been in IT for about 25 years after first trying out another career path for a couple of years. During that time, being an employee of a regular company gives me an income, the level of which I would imagine most people can guess. Nothing great, but enough to be thankful for. There was a couple of years that I was lucky enough to be able to do some consulting work. During that time, with the same effort that I am putting in today, I was regularly earning double what I am earning today, and for one year, four times what I am earning today. But that year I cashed in on some stock options. The point here being again: LUCK has a lot to do with everything. In case someone wonders why I stopped that lucrative job: A nasty medical condition with my wife has gradually become so bad that she needs around the clock care, and my current employer is allowing me to work from home. And of course I am extremely grateful for that. Another example about money not always being the thing that counts. I am not saying that being lucky is unfair. Not at all. Good for those who are lucky. I am happy for everyone who is. In my opinion, skillful (and skillful is the key word) investing is the only way to accumulate wealth, at least in my circumstances. And if everyone did this, the rich would get richer, and the poor would also get richer, just not quite as fast as the rich, as Roberto said earlier on. Luwalira pointed out SA. Since I lived there myself for 12 years, I would be interested in hearing Martinbo's thoughts on this topic as well. My own family members (from my wife's side) have just about all been forced to be entrepreneurs, i.e. start their own businesses because regular employment is mainly offered to those whose families were oppressed for so long. Amazing how this turn of events have actually made them all even better off than they were before.