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Am I a better person now that my income has increased?

Am I a better person now that my income has increased?

  • Yes, you did the right things to make that happen.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • No (other explanation)

    Votes: 7 25.9%

  • No, you are the same person regardless of your income.

    Votes: 20 74.1%

  • Yes (other explanation)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    27
  • Poll closed .
vasuderatorrent said:
Did you see this happen prior to October 2008 or after October 2008? I doubt that you know anybody that was under the age of 28 on March 30, 2014 that actually done this.
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I have seen it for 20 years or so and I just shake my head. These kids never learn the value of a dollar.
 
sawyerloggingon said:
I have seen it for 20 years or so and I just shake my head. These kids never learn the value of a dollar.
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I have no doubt that you saw this happen over the last 2 decades. I'm just doubting that you seen it happen in the last 6 years.

I'm 34. I've seen both sides of this. I'm old enough to remember the old economy but I'm young enough to see the burn of the new economy.
 
vasuderatorrent said:
I have no doubt that you saw this happen over the last 2 decades. I'm just doubting that you seen it happen in the last 6 years.

I'm 34. I've seen both sides of this. I'm old enough to remember the old economy but I'm young enough to see the burn of the new economy.
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Well now that you mention it I have not seen much of that lately, what I see is kids out of college living with mom and dad.
 
vasuderatorrent said:
My base annual income as of March 18, 2014 = $16,302
My wife's base income as of March 18, 2014 = $13,500

Total income = $29,802.00

My base annual income as of March 19, 2014 = $16,302
My wife's base income as of March 19, 2014 = $18,720
Additional source of income as of March 20, 2014 = $10,400

Total income = $45,422.

In the course of 2 days my household income jumped by $15,622.

How does this make me a better person than I was 2 days prior? I don't get it. My eligibility for many government benefits vanished. Does this make me a better person from a moral perspective? If so, what was I doing wrong before this happened? What was I doing right that caused this to happen? How did my character change just in the course of 2 days?

I voted for the third option but I know lots of people believe that scum bags have low incomes and good people have high incomes.

Perhaps this exercise will allow them the opportunity to explain their world view.
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I'd say that you are no different but your wife is the bomb!!:lol:
 
vasuderatorrent said:
My income went up by 52.412589759%. If your numbers are accurate. This would be equivalent to your income jumping to somewhere between $304,825 - $381,031 per year.

By the way. We live on different planets. I would not consider my income middle class. I would consider it working class. Is that equivalent to being poor?
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If I wanted to live and send my children to a good school in Manhattan on $381,031 per year, I would be too poor to pull that off.

That would be equivalent to being poor in Manhattan.
 
vasuderatorrent said:
Lizzie, turtledude, cephus, miserveritis are a few of the people who think poor people are scum for the simple fact that their income is low.

I understand this thinking to some degree. It just doesn't account for the fact that a good economy can boost the income of "scum bags".
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That's an interesting comment. I haven't seen that out of any of those you mentioned.

Based on that comment and this thread I'm going to hazard a guess that you are putting more emphasis on income than others tend to.
 
Lutherf said:
I'd say that you are no different but your wife is the bomb!!:lol:
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Yeah. That is completely accurate. Her employer thinks so too. Her raise was approved unanimously by 3 committees and by majority vote of the entire organization by unanimous vote. She is the bomb but I have to inform you that she is already taken. You spoke up too late.
 
Del Zeppnile said:
If I wanted to live and send my children to a good school in Manhattan on $381,031 per year, I would be too poor to pull that off.

That would be equivalent to being poor in Manhattan.
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I'm not sure how to respond. I am incapable of understanding your predicament. It is quite possible that you are misrepresenting your situation. If not, I probably have more disposable income than you do. I don't know how to translate our situations. I apologize.

I know people that make $80,000 a year and can't afford to put up $200 to send their kid to camp. My income was in the high $20's. I have never seen difficutly in coming up with $200 for something that I felt was important. In your scenario you live in a different state. The person I am describing lives in my same area but struggles to come up with $200. I don't get that either.

I'm quite the bonehead on certain topics. Understanding the poverty of a Manhattan income of $250,000 is something I know very little about.
 
vasuderatorrent said:
You are a hero. You are great at psychoanalysis :congrats: Now. Please stop with the harrassment and insults. They are completely irrelevant to the discussion. Just enjoy your status as a superior human being in silence like most adults.
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Awwwwwwwww...thank you! But of course its NOT BEING INSULTING. Its silly that you think that it is. LITERALLY...if you claim that YOU PERSONALLY have a problem with thousands of people...then YOU PERSONALLY may be the one with the problem. Just sayin.

Take...yourself for example. By your own reckoning, he is talking about YOU. YOU started this thread claiming you suddenly have managed to do better. Now...by HIS reckoning...you are just like those thousands of people. Right? After all...he has seen it THOUSANDS OF TIMES. In fact...of you, now...he believes..."People start at low salary and are ok people, they get promoted and become a little convinced by their own publicity, promoted again they become egotistic smug pricks and the more money they get the more they generate inflated self worth and see everyone else's lack thereof. They lose any concept of doing anything decent. They do what is asked of them, take the money and are thoroughly nasty people who lie continually just in the course of any day."

Didnt he just describe your OP?
 
VanceMack said:
LITERALLY...if you claim that YOU PERSONALLY have a problem with thousands of people...then YOU PERSONALLY may be the one with the problem.
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I didn't take him literally when he said thousands. He did a very good job at describing his perspective on the situation. I know how he feels about it.

Which came first the chicken or the egg? In other words, does he have a bad view on life because he saw bad things happen? or do bad things happen because he has a bad view on life?

Some people are bitter based upon their experiences. Some people are bitter based upon their personality. I don't think you can tell which is which without getting to know the person. Their bitterness may be temporary due to a painful situation that the person recently experienced. I suppose he just struck a nerve with you. That's fine.

I got the information that I was trying to obtain. Sometimes what I call information can be an annoyance for someone else. I just didn't see your comments as helpful. Whether they are accurate or not is to be determined. I can't say either way.
 
vasuderatorrent said:
I didn't take him literally when he said thousands. He did a very good job at describing his perspective on the situation. I know how he feels about it.

Which came first the chicken or the egg? In other words, does he have a bad view on life because he saw bad things happen? or do bad things happen because he has a bad view on life?

Some people are bitter based upon their experiences. Some people are bitter based upon their personality. I don't think you can tell which is which without getting to know the person. Their bitterness may be temporary due to a painful situation that the person recently experienced. I suppose he just struck a nerve with you. That's fine.

I got the information that I was trying to obtain. Sometimes what I call information can be an annoyance for someone else. I just didn't see your comments as helpful. Whether they are accurate or not is to be determined. I can't say either way.
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Be honest...were you looking for helpful comments or did you start a thread with the intent to be snarky towards people who you disagree with about wealth and the worth of a soul?

Frankly...some peoples negative opinion of others is earned...but some is generated of self. Dont know him well enough to know which is which in HIS case...but you DO fit his description of 'those types' of people.
 
VanceMack said:
were you looking for helpful comments or did you start a thread with the intent to be snarky towards people who you disagree with about wealth and the worth of a soul?
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Closer to the second one. I was starting a thread to show how inaccurate it is to believe that someone was bad based upon their income.

If that were the case I became a good person in 2 days without doing anything at all. So far 20 out of 20 people agree that it is stupid to classify someone as scum based solely upon their income.
 
vasuderatorrent said:
Closer to the second one. I was starting a thread to show how inaccurate it is to believe that someone was bad based upon their income.

If that were the case I became a good person in 2 days without doing anything at all. So far 20 out of 20 people agree that it is stupid to classify someone as scum based solely upon their income.
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I dont see people claiming you are a bad person because of your income status. But if you spend the majority of your time bemoaning how your own low income bracket is someone elses fault...well...
 
vasuderatorrent said:
I see these increases in my income as good fortune. I don't see them as an improvement in my character.

If you look around some of these threads you will see people that think poor people are scum of the earth. I have a hard time respecting that mindset. I am using my personal situation to prove the ridiculousness of their arrogant line of thinking.
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The amount of a person's income has no bearing on thier character. I am the same person today as I was 10 years ago when I was making near minimum wage. Today I make a very comfortable living.
 
vasuderatorrent said:
What do you make of these two comments?
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I already responded to the first comment. No...I dont think income should be considered. i do think a pulse would be relevant. Having a clue about what you were actually voting for...I'd make that important, but thats just me.

As to the second comment. Hell...I've said that myself NUMEROUS times. Rather than people spending their life whining about what the wealthy HAVE, they ought to express at least a LITTLE gratitude to those that carry this country, the economy, the governments (fed, state, and local), the roads, schools, and every other public service in existence.
 
VanceMack said:
they ought to express at least a LITTLE gratitude to those that carry this country, the economy, the governments (fed, state, and local), the roads, schools, and every other public service in existence.
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I guess I don't get it. A simple job offer can change you from a government beneficiary to a taxpayer in less than 10 seconds.

Are these individuals required to offer the same level of gratitude to those that carry this country, the economy, the governments, the roads, schools, and every other public service in existence when their income increases or does their requirements to show gratitude diminish?

Why are there a seperate set of requirements based upon a person's income? Shouldn't the required level of gratitude remain constant to all citizens?

By the way, Can't you just fake gratitude? You can pretend to show lots of gratitude but in reality you have no gratitude at all. It seems like such an intangible thing.
 
VanceMack said:
I already responded to the first comment. No...I dont think income should be considered. i do think a pulse would be relevant. Having a clue about what you were actually voting for...I'd make that important, but thats just me.

As to the second comment. Hell...I've said that myself NUMEROUS times. Rather than people spending their life whining about what the wealthy HAVE, they ought to express at least a LITTLE gratitude to those that carry this country, the economy, the governments (fed, state, and local), the roads, schools, and every other public service in existence.
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You do realize that Misterveritis is calling low income people criminals. You also admitted that you have said the same thing NUMEROUS times. Did you read Misterveritis's comments before you spoke?

If my wife and I would have been arrested for our crime of having a low income, then we never would have increased our income. WTF? :cuckoo: I guess some people are completely stupid and don't think about the things that they say.
 
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vasuderatorrent said:
You do realize that Misterveritis is calling low income people criminals. You also admitted that you have said the same thing NUMEROUS times. Did you read Misterveritis's comments before you spoke?

If my wife and I would have been arrested for our crime of having a low income, then we never would have increased our income. WTF? :cuckoo: I guess some people are completely stupid and don't think about the things that they say.
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I responded to what you posted. The comments were correct as was my response. Rather than the continued whining, crying and moaning and bitching about the wealth and success of others, work harder, do better...and have the decency to express a little appreciation for those that carry the bulk of the workload in this country. No...dont fake it...have some sincere appreciation. Look...I think its great your wife earns an extra 3 k a year now. I really do. Keep at it and things should continue to improve for you. Thats the gig...its how it works. Along the way and in the meantime...you probably dont make enough in income to actually PAY income taxes. Im assuming from what you listed that you qualify for the EIC. Great. Take advantage of it, do good things with it, and...in advance...you are welcome.
 
vasuderatorrent said:
I'm not sure how to respond. I am incapable of understanding your predicament. It is quite possible that you are misrepresenting your situation. If not, I probably have more disposable income than you do. I don't know how to translate our situations. I apologize.

I know people that make $80,000 a year and can't afford to put up $200 to send their kid to camp. My income was in the high $20's. I have never seen difficutly in coming up with $200 for something that I felt was important. In your scenario you live in a different state. The person I am describing lives in my same area but struggles to come up with $200. I don't get that either.

I'm quite the bonehead on certain topics. Understanding the poverty of a Manhattan income of $250,000 is something I know very little about.
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You missed the point.
 
vasuderatorrent said:
Closer to the second one. I was starting a thread to show how inaccurate it is to believe that someone was bad based upon their income.

If that were the case I became a good person in 2 days without doing anything at all. So far 20 out of 20 people agree that it is stupid to classify someone as scum based solely upon their income.
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Did someone actually use the word "scum" or are you making that up? Who said that?
 
Stop being daft. "New money" is always viewed negatively. ;)
 
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