Comments intertwined below --- In [email protected], Duveyoung <no_re...@...> wrote: > > > I knew, say, 20 rich dudes ($10,000,000 net worth +) in FF well enough > to say I had a rudimentary grasp of their personalities, and, 100% of > them had been crammed into an uptight defensiveness because of the > pressures, and most of them could immediately see if someone was > approaching them for money and brush it aside quickly. Like, "all my > investments are set for the year," like that. > > Most of these guys were rude, abusive, haughty, and agog with > entitlement that they felt their net-worth bought them -- pampered > into it by the TMO, ya see? They, each of them, could, however, > pretend to be nice and fool you every time, but watch the shift when > they catch you looking at that lump in their back pocket. Rich man > eye of the needle sort of thingie -- it just seems to come with riches > that one's personality gets annealed by the challenges into a harder > less forgiving taut humorless wary presentation.
Marek and Turq discussed the transition from TMO elitist to human being -- seeing humanity as individuals like them -- instead of "less evolved". I sense a similar sort of elitism in some posts (this may not be a good example and may not fall in this group -- it did however jog my thought) -- that "the rich" are different from us. Even using such a crude moniker as "the rich" (its often with a implied haughty and derogetory tone) is reflective of this elitism. Hemingway and F.Scott Fitzgerald had this same debate -- one saying "you know the rich are different from us" -- the other replying "(like) yeah(!), they have more money than us". In my view, one doesn't close the loop on transforming elitism to humanitarianism until they also see people who (momentarily -- in the grand cycle of things) have more resources than ourselves. > Anyone here want to sing the praises of those in FF who are rich and > still somehow are nice folks? Behind the curtains of Oz, all those I > knew could be seen acting without their typical masks, and they were > as human as human can be....that is, susceptible to power-insanity. > To me it's like the rich have all this power to solve problems but > they are so beset by the immensity of the poverty all around them that > they collapse into a POV of: "Why bother to engage the masses since > they can easily sap one of every penny and the world will still be > unchanged?" And the unrich don't? I think about big cities 200-300 years ago. Massive poverty and lack of education -- beyond the pale of what we consider poverty today, and I cringe at the inner sight of people in their fine carriages telling their inquisitive child -- "don't fret about them -- they are not one of us -- just unwashed dregs of humanity -- nothing can be done for them -- they are not like us at all. Don't fret, don't even think about them." How could they be so callous, insensitive and cruel??!! Yet, in reality, most of us are essentially the same. Locking out great parts of humanity -- because thinking about them, mingling with them, doing stuff for them, would be inconvenient -- and so icky -- and hey it won't make a damn difference anyway (so let them rot is is implication). But its hard to impossible to know all others inner thoughts, hearts and plans. Some people, are engaged everyday -- volunteering, donating, etc. These are wonderful people. But that is not the exclusive set of compassionate people on the planet. Some have longer range plans (which may be inferior, or may ultimately be more effective -- one can't say in snap judgements). Some, rich and non-rich, may have plans that we are not aware of. Working each day to bring them to fruition -- without show, without celebration or glory. So one can't always see beneath the surface -- and making generalizations -- especially across entire elitist pegged classes of humanity (for example "the rich") -- may be problematic. (I say "elitist pegged" because seeing others as "rich" and not one of us is part of the elitist trap.) > > They don't seem to respond to that story of the man on the beach > throwing back living fish that had gotten stranded on the beach by a > rogue wave, and some other guy says, "Why bother, you can only toss > but a few back and what do they matter when thousands are going to die > despite your efforts?" The man replied, "It matters to this one!" as > he tossed another fish back to life. > > I don't think I would be a very nice rich person either; unless, maybe > I'd survive it if I went underground and wore old clothes and drove a > beater and had only superficial relationships, but also had an ear to > the ground for places where a splash of coin could do some measurable > good. Stealth giving might be the formula to keep the ego in check, > cuz once you're spotted on the poor's radar, they shift their POV > about you, and there goes intimacy, trust, etc. And you will be > praised consistently until your ego is a blimp. > > I've been the recipient of a rich person's stealth from afar. This > person heard about my plight during one of my lowest financial moments > in life. Cut a $1,000 check and gave it to a friend of mine and swore > him to secrecy, and he wouldn't tell me who gave the money. So it > does happen out there. These are the kind debts that one can only pay > by passing it forward, yes? > > Edg >
