One of the challenges that I have faced as an upwardly mobile man is that many family members and friends time and again, sometimes making it appear as a joke or light talk, made me feel that I am greedy, stingy, cheapo, lacking fine taste, and unable to enjoy life. And there is one common feature of these people: THEY ARE POOR.
Now, you can understand why these people criticize hardworking people like me, who analyze each situation so that we own only one car, we maximize the time that we use our cell phones, and avoid wasting money on things like expensive weddings.
So why do these people say such negative words and refuse to respect us?
Because they are jealous. They envy the diligence of saving and discipline that couples like us have. They are shocked that we always seem to have money for everything and that they are destined to retire in peace while they are always freaking out about paying their bills and do not know what will happen if the economy goes into recession or they lose their jobs.
I never feel bad when they criticize us because I know that every penny that I have made is through hard work. I never extorted money or robbed a bank or cheated on my taxes. The money has grown simply through investment in the stock market so I have not hurt anyone by charging an exorbitant interest rate.
Advice on ignoring the naysayers
Just do not pay attention to what they are saying because they are not coming from a place of respect and love. They simply cannot appreciate that people like us are rich and they are not, so start criticizing our old phones or humble cars or our constant efforts not to waste money.
Trust me, when we are in trouble, these people will not come to your help when you need it; so do not spend a penny just to impress them or to prove them right that you have fine taste or are not greedy or cheap.