Why do poor people always rationalize why they don't have things outside their means?

[Eeezee]

Wow, OP is a pretentious ass.

I have plenty of "poor" friends (big families living in small homes). I've always been pretty well off (only child with two working parents). They've never gone out of their way to point out how happy they are without tons of expensive crap; it's already clear whenever I'm with them. Perhaps your friends feel that you are an inattentive or dumb person, and thus feel it necessary to point out obvious things to you?

I stopped living off my parents and dropped a few income brackets when I went to college. I wasn't exactly poor, I had a ton of scholarship money. But now I'm in grad school, and now I really am poor; I make about $30k/year in Irvine, CA before taxes, rent, food, etc. (this is in Orange County, where rent for a studio can cost over $1k/month with no utilities). I see nothing wrong with being poor. I go to the movies occasionally, and on the weekends my friends and I either play board games or head to the nearest bar for a few pints. I have minimal savings and pretty much live from paycheck to paycheck. Do you really see something wrong with this lifestyle? I don't exactly have a choice at the moment; I want a hgiher degree, and there is little I can do about my financial situation in the meantime (besides going out and robbing a bank). Do you feel I should go out and buy a new car so I can feel cool, too? Should I take out a ton of loans and get a huge credit card debt so I can go out to eat all the time?

Remember, Bill Gates cuts his own hair.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Read your OP, where do you talk about having a gazillion dollars. Where do I talk about a gazillion dollars or even cars? Are you this delusional and need to make-up stuff to justify yourself? You're complaining about poor people justifying what they own. Then you do it. So sad.

You didn't talk about it...I was clarifying what rationalizing meant since you don't seem to understand.

There is no problem being ok/justified in what you own.

Please re-read, if you have a hard time ask mom and dad to help you.

If 'There is no problem being ok/justified in what you own.', why are you complaining about poor people doing so?

My parents will help you understand your OP if you'd like.

Who said I was complaining. I am discussing something that obviously puts you and others into defensive mode.

I have never once said the people are scum or should be eliminated or that what they have is trash.

My point is someone trying to compare their lesser item to one far more expensive and out of their means to obtain and then stating even with the means for it they'd still keep their lesser items and going onto a soapbox to battle it.

 

[dug777]

Originally posted by: dug777

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: dug777
It's become painfully obvious the OP is just after attention, rather than answers (of which he's received many).

I advocate ignoring him

so do so please. You have not contributed anything.

I have responded to 'answers'. Most of what was received though was nothing to do with the topic like your post.

You do realize you can skip topics on OT right?

You just don't get it, do you?

I shall try to explain this to you, but I can't see why I'll succeed where others more gifted than me have failed.


1) Your Op, thread title, posts, and general attitude make you sound like a pretentious git. Not knowing you personally I can't say if this is the case, all I've got to go on is your posting.

2) Against everything you appear believe, it's more than possible to lead an extremely satisfying and fulfilling existence without having the most expensive possessions.

3) There's absolutely nothing wrong, unhealthy, or unnatural with being able to see that you have what you need to lead a satisfying and fulfilling existence.


I'll theorise that you are unhappy with your lot, and therefore can't understand why those with less than you have any right to be happy.

Sucks to be you.

I feel forced to quote myself

I also feel forced to repeat myself:

You just don't get it, do you?

 

[funboy6942]

Why care what others think? Care about what you like. Why you find the need to want to rationalize their way of thinking over your own is beyond me. As long as they are happy who cares, it is THEIR life not yours. Its not your duty to go putting your beliefs and feelings you have for they way you think and do things towards others as the "golden" rule. As long as what someone else is doing is not effecting in some way with your life in a threating way butt out, IMO.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: Eeezee
Wow, OP is a pretentious ass.

<snip>

Remember, Bill Gates cuts his own hair.

Oh please. Gates was born into a wealthy family, owns a home that I think is worth at least $150M and has countless assets worth a hell of a lot more. His cutting his own hair (haven't heard that he does, but it doesn't matter) is likely more indicative of some simple preference than a desire to be thrifty.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: alkemyst
Who said I was complaining. I am discussing something that obviously puts you and others into defensive mode.

I have never once said the people are scum or should be eliminated or that what they have is trash.

My point is someone trying to compare their lesser item to one far more expensive and out of their means to obtain and then stating even with the means for it they'd still keep their lesser items and going onto a soapbox to battle it.

Without going into a lot of details, I'm exactly the kind of person you're talking about. We used to just barely scrape by (I went back to school full time; when I got done, my wife went back to school full time.) It was really hard with only half our usual income. We had old cars. But, we could justify them, especially me - there's no way I wanted a new Jeep Cherokee, my old one suffered too much abuse while driving into the woods hunting.

Well, fast forward a few years and we're doing quite well. Our annual income is roughly 2 1/2 times the purchase price of our home. We have only 1 car payment (I still regret saying yes to my wife on that one.) I could walk onto a dealer's lot tomorrow and get a brand new vehicle for my wife, and a brand new vehicle for myself. NO freaking way. I don't like car payments. I don't like throwing away money on something that's going to depreciate by thousands of dollars merely by my driving it off the lot. I drive a 96 mercury sable. I also have a 96? Ford Escort. My wife's vehicle is a grand caravan. And, I bought my son a 96 Plymouth Neon. My car insurance is still quite low; much lower for the vehicles, plus an 18 foot boat, than many here pay for one car.

And guess what - I'm quite happy with what I drive. I'm now in a situation that you claim wouldn't happen - I can afford much more expensive vehicles, but I won't. I can find much more enjoyable ways to spend my money. This weekend, while you were in the driveway waxing your precious, I tossed 2 kayaks on the roof of our van and took off for Virginia Beach. And, later, I tossed 2 kayaks, dripping with salt water, and sand stuck to them back onto the roof of the van. Probably more than a couple light scratches in the process. I had a GREAT time. Went out and enjoyed a really nice fresh seafood dinner (fresh seafood does not exist in western NY). And, the next day, I went to a goat breeder down there, plunked down a decent amount of change on 2 goats, and put them into the back of the van for the return trip to NY. All that, while other people are thinking "okay, if we have kraft mac and cheese 2 nights this week, we'll be able to make the payment on our mcmansion and our two 2007 vehicles that we leased. Then our coworkers will think we're really cool, because we drive the cars that those losers drive. "

 

[alkemyst]

I don't know why having other stuff precludes other items. My brother personally has a trailer he uses to cart his two carbon fiber sea kayaks behind his MDX though.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: dug777
I feel forced to quote myself

I also feel forced to repeat myself:

You just don't get it, do you?

No, I do get it.

Your points you requoted have nothing to do with the topic though.

You are the one that doesn't get it.

It's fine though

 

[SmoochyTX]

Originally posted by: lokiju
Someone needs to start listening to Dave Ramsey.

He'll change your whole POV on finances and what's the "norm"

:thumbsup:

 

[dug777]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: dug777
I feel forced to quote myself

I also feel forced to repeat myself:

You just don't get it, do you?

No, I do get it.

Your points you requoted have nothing to do with the topic though.

You are the one that doesn't get it.

It's fine though

It's not fine, because despite everyone's best efforts, you don't get it.

If your topic is simply that you can't understand why people say they'd rather have what they have, instead of something more expensive, then you simply don't get it.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: dug777

It's not fine, because despite everyone's best efforts, you don't get it.

If your topic is simply that you can't understand why people say they'd rather have what they have, instead of something more expensive, then you simply don't get it.

I do get it man, you will repeatedly push doors that say pull for hours.