Just Quoted

" Both a Prince and a Pauper would describe wealth in vastly different terms. " - David Alan Bates

The Story

For the first time in my life I have colleagues who are from a vastly different class as my own. I would like to think of my 'social standing' has comfortably average. I don't get to own everything I want, but I do live very comfortably in all respects.

But after 3 weeks in working in this new office, I have come to realise that somethings which I find nothing out of the ordinary is quite beyond the grasp of these colleagues of mine. Well actually they aren't even colleagues in that sense, they are my staff.

For example, I am in the market for a 2nd hand Volvo S40. I expect to get it in the next 6 months or so. It's not often that someone in my 'social standing' would consider buying a second hand car. In fact it is very rare, but the fact that I plan to buy a luxury car of sorts, does make it 'not so bad'.

On the other hand, buying a new car is somewhat out of the ordinary for my staff. During our free time we do often chat about cars; boys being boys :) What I have come to realise is that their budgets are usually around the RM20,000 region, meaning to say even the cheapest national car is out of the question if they were to buy it new.

To them, buying a 10-15 year old Japanese car like a Toyota Corolla or an even older Nissan Bluebird is the height of achievement. Granted, those are good cars, but it's not something I personally would be caught dead driving as my daily car. At least not if I remain in the standing I am now.

All this just got me thinking, my 2nd hand Volvo as compared to a 2nd or maybe even 3rd hand Corolla. We each have a 'standard' which are vastly different, but determined by not only our upbringing but also our level of education and consequently the size of our pay cheques.

But ponder this.

Is it wealth that allows you to buy something better, or is it the DESIRE to buy something better that propels you to look for greater wealth?

A point to ponder.