How rich are you? (puts things in perspective)

[DanceMentor]

Check this out:
http://www.globalrichlist.com/

Without being too specific, it is amazing to realize that I am in the top 1% richest in the World.
That is something that I should be very thankful about always.

[Laura]

Plug in some lower numbers, like what the "poverty level" is in the US, and you'll find that our entire country is doing well in the "numbers game." With the kind of money that is concentrated in the US, we should be able to have good everything for every one of our citizens. I like the way the web page encourages people to donate to charity.

This was both fun, and sobering.

[Sagitta]

I'll second you there Laura.

[chandra]

Wow, even working part time, (<20 hrs) at minimum wage, I make top 15%

[fascination]

I dont even need to look...if anyone wants more info on stuff like this they should consider googling oxfam and get a hunger banquet kit...it is mind boggling how much wealth we have and well, thats all I'm gonna say:rolleyes:

[chela]

I should be thankful that I have money to take a lesson now and then instead of wishing that I had money to take more lessons. Thanks for pointing out the website. We need to be reminded how lucky and blessed we really are!

[pygmalion]

Thanks for the reminder, DM. It's pretty humbling to realize how much we take for granted. :?

[Rosa]

Yeah. Family, friends, our beliefs, our support circles, affection, love... all those are more important than money. :cool:

Rosa :)

[pygmalion]

A little money can be a good thing, too, though. :wink:

I was watching a TV documentary last night which helped me remember about the money thing, though. The abject poverty of these people! Oh my goodness. Yet, in the midst of it were two boys who risked their lives leaving and re-entering their country to go find food and earn money to help feed their families back home. It made me think about what's really important.

[Twilight_Elena]

I put the virtual number of 8400 euros, which is 700/month, just because that's whta I'll be approximately making if I work as a teacher part-time.
Top 13.24% richest people in the world. :shock: Wow. Not bad for a part-time dancer/university student.

Twilight Elena

[RhumbaWaltz]

This really puts things in perspective. I'm a bit embarrassed about how much time I waste wishing I could take more private lessons...

[chandra]

This really puts things in perspective. I'm a bit embarrassed about how much time I waste wishing I could take more private lessons...
*sigh* Dont we all... oh the hours...


Atleast Im not day dreaming about trying to take over the world ;)

[DeeplyDippy]

Yeah ! 0.8% !

What do you mean "This isn't a competition"

[Larinda McRaven]

I was watching a TV documentary last night
North Korea?

[pygmalion]

Yep. :cool:

[Fretful_Porpentine]

I'm sure people will chew me out for saying this, because it seems kind of harsh. It's really not meant to be like that though....

Just remember that in many countries where people are earning wages that, in America, would seem horrifically low, the cost of living as well is much lower. I'm not saying that we shouldn't be greatful for what we have...we should! It's just, that, it's a lot easier to live off $1000/yr in, for example, rural Bangladesh than it is in Manhattan. When I was at school in India, we received less than $10 a month in pocket allowance, but could still afford to eat in restaurants at least 3-4 times a week and go shopping. Our teachers made $2000 a year but still owned homes, raised families, and traveled extensively.

That being said, there are millions, if not billions, of people on earth who don't make enough to survive in their own homelands. And that should make all of us feel both fortunate and depressed.

[Indiana_Jay]

I'm sure people will chew me out for saying this, because it seems kind of harsh. It's really not meant to be like that though....

Just remember that in many countries where people are earning wages that, in America, would seem horrifically low, the cost of living as well is much lower. I'm not saying that we shouldn't be greatful for what we have...we should! It's just, that, it's a lot easier to live off $1000/yr in, for example, rural Bangladesh than it is in Manhattan. When I was at school in India, we received less than $10 a month in pocket allowance, but could still afford to eat in restaurants at least 3-4 times a week and go shopping. Our teachers made $2000 a year but still owned homes, raised families, and traveled extensively.

That being said, there are millions, if not billions, of people on earth who don't make enough to survive in their own homelands. And that should make all of us feel both fortunate and depressed.

Some teenagers just impress the heck out of me!

[Fretful_Porpentine]

Oh good! Now that I've fulfilled my impressiveness quota for the evening, I'm going to go bar-hopping! :D

[Joe]

I take it they have failed to factor in the relative cost of living. If a person makes $50000/yr and buys a hamburger for $5 in one country, and someone else makes $10000/yr and buys a $1 hamburger in another country, does that make the $10000 person poorer? I think not. I suspect the website people are ignoring that to their own benefit.

[kansas49er]

I take it they have failed to factor in the relative cost of living. If a person makes $50000/yr and buys a hamburger for $5 in one country, and someone else makes $10000/yr and buys a $1 hamburger in another country, does that make the $10000 person poorer? I think not. I suspect the website people are ignoring that to their own benefit.


I suspect you are correct, but it does not negate the fact that the poorest Americans still do much better than a good deal of the world. However, I do not feel guilty about this. There are many causations of poor and poor living conditions. While the poor cannot always help all the reasons, neither can I alleviate a good many of them. Still, we do need to remember that we are blessed. Not only by what opportunities we have to lift ourselves up, but the "luck" of being born into this great prosperous country. We should strive to help the less fortunate. ALways.

[Indiana_Jay]

Oh good! Now that I've fulfilled my impressiveness quota for the evening, I'm going to go bar-hopping! :D

:uplaugh:

[cl5814]

For me, it is about what you do with your money.......hopefully you spend it the right way, whatever that might mean to you.

There seem to be a difference in spending pattern if you worked for your wealth or inherited your wealth.

Probably a whole nother conversation......

[pygmalion]

While the poor cannot always help all the reasons, neither can I alleviate a good many of them. Still, we do need to remember that we are blessed. Not only by what opportunities we have to lift ourselves up, but the "luck" of being born into this great prosperous country. We should strive to help the less fortunate. ALways.

Amen. I suspect that factoring in relative cost of living would have made the website a real project. But, at least for me, the point has been made. I may be broke, but I'm rich... comparatively speaking.

I already knew that, of course. But it's good to be reminded. :cool: I figured it out way back, when I bought myself a PC copy of Carmen Sandiego, a "kids" geography game. (Yes. I'm immature and proud. :lol: ) Anyway, in the course of playing, I cheated by looking up the answers in the World Almanac and found some startling statistics. If you want to feel rich, try looking up the per capita number of physicians in your country versus other countries. That's the stat I remember, but there were others. Pretty startling stuff that goes to the basic quality of life. (an aside: take a look at the literacy rates while you're there. :shock: for US folks. )

Bottom line? I'm blessed, and spoiled too. What can I say? :?