Poor People Are Lazy, Rich People Are Greedy

Tarring groups with one brush is unhelpful.

Someone said that “money is like oxygen: it’s better when you have more of it.”

I think that’s true only if you lack money or oxygen. A drowning man craves oxygen, while a begging man desires money.

Most of us have the oxygen we need. No one wakes up saying they need to make more oxygen or to breathe more in. Only in extenuating circumstances does that happen.

Money, on the other hand, is on everyone's mind. It is not a given that you have it. You have to earn it.

Well, most of us do. We wake up every morning and trudge out there to earn a living so we can pay our bills; feed, clothe, and house ourselves; and hopefully have enough for fun.

Many of us are barely surviving. We want more money. I am no exception. For me, it’s not about being rich. It’s about making money decisions. I don’t like the fact that the reason that I don’t do something is because I can’t afford it. I’d rather it be that I don't have time or I don’t need it.

That being said, I wouldn’t say no to being rich. So why aren’t I?

Some might say it’s because I’m not willing to put the work in. Rich people get there by putting time into their businesses. They take risks. They fail and try again. They sleep less and work more. They don't waste time binge-watching shows or watching three-hour football games.

They believe that if you’re not successful, you’re lazy. If I hear one more time that “if I can do it, anyone can”, someone’s losing a tongue.

Maybe, in my case, it’s because of laziness. But it’s not always that simple.

Similarly, the rich are seen as greedy. They underpay their employees. They only care about shareholders. CEOs get millions in bonuses while employees get 2% raises which is lower than inflation. If the rich cared about people there would be no poverty in the world.

Again, it’s not that simple.

Here are my thoughts on the matter.

Poor people are lazy

My Take: I don’t subscribe to creating structures for equal outcomes. I do believe in equal opportunities and we don’t have that in many cases.

Some people are born into poverty and find it difficult to get out of the cycle. Unequal access to quality education and job opportunities can significantly impact a person’s ability to escape poverty.

Many poor individuals work multiple jobs to make ends meet. They aren't lazy, they’re desperate.

It’s crucial to consider the circumstances, like mental illness; loss of a marriage or job; and work or car accident leading to inability to work, that contribute to poverty before making sweeping judgments.

I do believe that individuals are responsible for their lot in life. That being said, the stereotype of laziness among the poor ignores their daily struggles and a little empathy would lead to better understanding.

Rich people are greedy

My take: I do believe that there is such a thing as having too much money. You don’t need to be a billionaire to live well beyond your means. A multimillionaire can live an excessively luxurious lifestyle and have money left over to burn.

Let’s not forget that billionaires became that because they had a service or product that we all bought. The Walton’s with Walmart; Jeff Bezos with Amazon; Bill Gates with Microsoft, etc, all made our lives a little simpler with access to computers or easier and cheaper shopping trips.

That being said, the greed label is warranted when profits increase but wages don’t increase at the same rate. Some companies move to locations where lower costs/wages increase profits. Other companies aren’t willing to pay to improve working conditions. It’s all about the bottom line for CEOs and shareholders.

However, many wealthy individuals, like Mackenzie Scott, and families engage in philanthropy and support various charitable causes. While there may be instances of greed among the wealthy, it is an unfair generalization to label all rich individuals as greedy.

Forbes has a list of the 25 most philanthropic givers in 2022.

I know the cynic in us believes that any charitable giving by the rich benefits them financially. It doesn’t matter. If someone is freezing, do you think that he cares about your motives when you give him your coat? All he cares about is that his suffering has been relieved.

Painting all rich people as greedy oversimplifies a diverse group. Wealth can be used for both selfish and altruistic purposes, and individuals should be judged based on their actions rather than their economic status.

Conclusion

Labeling poor people as lazy and rich people as greedy is overly simplistic and unhelpful.

It's also mostly false.

As humans, we like to judge people when we don’t even know them or their story. I prefer to judge a particular behaviour or action. I might say, “that’s laziness” or “that’s greed.”

Let’s avoid making sweeping judgments. After all, we all exhibit laziness or greed at some point in our lives.