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RE: What It's Really Like To Be Rich And White

in #life8 years ago

I think your title, What It's Really Like To Be Rich And White, is needlessly narrow. Is it not precisely akin to being "rich and Chinese" or "rich and Arabic"? Or being in society's obsequious regard for something else other than your own inner being (such as being the Pope's or King's bastard child)? I think you may actually be pointing at what it's like to be in a position of privilege obtained by something other than your own conscious effort.

And introducing race or wealth as the formatory source to be considered may be a distracting red herring.

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May I ask you a question: why did you click on the title? Also, what title would you have given it? There's actually very little discussion of what it's like to be rich on any platform. Rich people don't want to be attacked for telling the truth. I think the title accurately describes my past situation. Of course I could change the title to sound more lofty but I feel that my story of my short-lived wealth was not lofty, merely lucky. People change and I'm not the same person I used to be. Opening up about real experiences isn't a comfort or calculated move and I figured my brutal honestly would garner some comments that were of a critical nature.

I fell into wealth without having fully developed as human being. But I ask you, "Who is fully developed at age 17?" To receive criticism about the meaning of life and wealth at that age is ludicrous. Humans are always evolving and our teen years offer only a glimpse into the person we will one day become.

The reason I mentioned my race is because in the late 1980's when I worked for Elite, it was still a very racist world. White models were the only ones who really were allowed to make it. The black supermodels came later on. Being white was one reason I was able to cash out my genetic lottery.

Well, I can't say that I was being very introspective at the moment I clicked on your post as to my motivation for doing so.

I will hazard a guess, though, that my motivation was one of, or a combination of, the following:

  • I saw that stellabelle was the author, and I generally read all of her posts
  • I find that the current reaction to "white privilege" has become divisive and counterproductive
    and I wanted to see if this post would be an extension of that
  • I was intrigued to see if there would be any distinguishing features of "rich and white" as
    opposed to "rich and any other variable"

It was your current self, not the 17-year-old, that formulated that title. I personally know several people who are "rich and white", and have read the biographies of others, for whom it is not anything at all like you describe.

Gandhi's Seven Social Sins:

Politics without principles.
Wealth without work.
Pleasure without conscience.
Knowledge without character.
Commerce without morality.
Science without humanity.
Worship without sacrifice.