BEING RICH VS BEING WEALTHY

In a recent study, citizens who had $1 million or more in assets were asked if they considered themselves wealthy. Of 4,450 participants, only 60% considered themselves wealthy which means a whopping 1,780 citizens did not consider themselves wealthy. Although 60% is the majority, it made me curious as to why the rest opted to answer no.

The words “well off” and “wealthy” are commonly associated with one another as synonyms. To me, however, these words differ significantly. To be well off in present society means to have a vast amount of money in order to live a decent life. So you might be wondering: what exactly does wealth mean then?  Wealth means the exact opposite: having a decent amount of money in order to live an extravagant and fulfilled life. Having a great amount of money does not necessarily equate to happiness as the lifelong saying says; “money can’t buy happiness.” But this is the exact opposite of the notion that citizens of the 1920s had set in their minds. Every aspect of their lives revolved around increasing their status with monetary value. The Great Gatsby portrays this common idea by describing the lives of various people during that time period. For example, Gatsby did not love Daisy with his whole heart, but rather because “’her voice [was] full of money’” (Fitzgerald 126). True wealth was not common knowledge back in the day, but it eventually grew to what it is today: an expression of true happiness and success.