Are rich children always happier than those who came from poorer families?

Question

I believe money has never made man happy.The more of it one has the more one wants..how about it?

oOsweet~o~nessOo · Accepted Answer

Wealth honestly doesn't have that much to do with a person's overall happiness;

It's just based in the family foundation they come from, how they perceive themselves / world, how the world tends to interact towards / with them.

The only thing that would allieviate some hardship for the kid, would be they wouldn't have to worry about not having food, water, shelter, clothes, - basically want for nothing and have no financial stress.

I came from a lower class family - so money was always tight or non - existent.

I was always more happy than unhappy honestly - growing up, money is more of a concern for the parents than the kids, since it is the parents responsibility to take care of financial matters.

I had holes in my clothes, very old shoes, sometimes I didn't have food to make lunch for school, or pay for lunch at school ( had to borrow from friends,) or go to bed hungry or whatev - but those were such small things compared to having a good family foundation.

I wish my mom had been more around ( she worked a lot,) and warmer but she was a great woman - taught me and my bro how to be strong, always helped us through our problems etc etc - she did her best to give us a good childhood despite financial issues.

There's a strong sense of love and loyalty in my family - on top of pretty wise people who give great advice and help mold their younger generation.

That's all that mattered really. Going a few nights without food doesn't remotely par with going for years without solid love, loyalty, wisdom, and most of all trust.

My best friend attended a school in a upper class neighborhood - and the kids at her school had 100X the drama, anger, sadness, suicidal depressions, disconnect with friends / family then the lower - middle class kids at my school.

When I'd hang out with her in that area - we'd go over to some of her " friends" ( I use that very loosely,) like huge 3 story houses with benz's and lambo's in the garage -

These kids were hell.

They would cuss at their parents - one guy called his mom a dumb bitch in front of all his company then proceeded to talk about how much he hated her when she left; some girl threw a tantrum in the mall because she couldn't get like 20 bucks more for something - and she was like 17 years old.

The school my best bud went to was toxic; the kids had no sense of true friendship, understanding - catty, spoiled, obnoxious, selfish, depressed - just not very happy people.

It started to rub off on her - she's typically a very happy person, but since she started going she became more angry, rude etc -

It wasn't all the kids there but a good majority :\

So yea - money can't buy you a good mentality...

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

No, happiness and wealth have little to do with each other. Happiness for children comes from feeling loved and accepted by their parents or caregivers. The more accepted you feel, rich or poor, the happier you are. Even when poor, if you feel your parents love you then whatever they do to care for you is fine. You deal with it.

When I was a teenager I hung out with the party crowd and most of us did not have money. We mostly were children of divorced mothers who were doing what they could to support us in the time when child support was pretty much a joke. And as crazy as my crowd was, there were a couple of guys we knew that hung with us here and there, but overall we were aware they were much worse than us. They almost had no souls. One was the son of a doctor and the other was the son of a successful business man. They were out there and could be quite cruel. One was making jokes about some 20-something gal he was having sex with who sounded like she had emotional problems or in some way was not able to protect herself from a jerk like him.

So, luckily, those guys did not hang with us very often but they were scary, someone you might vote as most likely to end up as a career criminal. They both had no regard for their parents. They were not happy. One did end up in jail multiple times as an adult. I don't know what ever happened to the other guy.

goflipaburger · Accepted Answer

As someone who comes from a poor family, I know for a fact that even though money can't buy happiness, it certainly does help make people become more happy. The few times my parents weren't extremely poor, I remember my family being very happy because they weren't constantly worrying about how they were going to buy the next meal or how they were going afford the light bill.

Are rich kids always happier? No, but statistics show they are more likely to be happy than someone who is poor.

The highest rate of depression is among the poor.

Confused614 · Accepted Answer

This is a loaded question. You use the words "always" and "never". Of course rich kids aren't "always" happier are they sometimes? Of course they are. It's like asking the question if you eat healthy will you always live a longer life then someone who doesn't. Of course the answer is no, you can be the healthiest person in the world if you get hit by a train you're still going to die. As other people have mentioned depression rates are higher in people making less money. I think not having money has a bigger affect on your happiness then having an excessive amount. Not being able to pay your bills or support yourself can be depressing compared to being able to get by but not being wealthy, I don't think will effect you as much. In a kids perspective even more so. As a kid you are trying to fit in at school and don't really think about how materialistic things can be. You want the newest toys and the nice clothes. It can be hard and stressful for young kids to be in school with kids who can afford these things and not being able to have them yourself. Yea maybe down the road you can look back and say "hey I made and I'm just as happy as those guys". Your question also implies all rich people are greedy which is obviously not true. To think money has never made man happy is ridiculous. Yes theoretically odds are money won't make someone happy, money is only paper. It's what money can do that can make someone happy so indirectly. If you need $100,000 for heart surgery to save your life, wouldn't having that money make you happy? Yes you don't need the money, you need the surgery but money makes things happen. Tell me money didn't make these people happy. You can be the happiest person ever but sometimes some money can make things that much better.

shyguy89 · Accepted Answer

happiness..if you have ever heard a psy doctor talk about it always starts in the same place for everyone no matter your backround or staus.it starts in you if your not happy with you then nothing in this world can make you happy only angers you when you see some less fortunate or someone you feel doesn't deserve it..the next step is livivng for yourself and not others only you know what makes you happy whether you wanna dress punk rock,no blue jeans,smooth criminal ect.. when your happy any and everything around you will look some much better.

thisislifebaby · Answer

I would go for no, I went to a very expensive private school for a few years ( I'm middle class wealth wise but we were in a situation where my dad's work payed for a lot) so I got to know very rich/ well off people I found they were either embarrassed by their wealth or were too absorbed in it to see they were wealthy and pretty much all of them had family issues/ dysfunctional families. So from my experience wealthy or not it doesn't really make a difference on the happy scale.

upood · Answer

I feel like richer people would be less happy... when you are poor you find pleasure in simple, meaningful things whereas no amount of cars or jewelry can really make one happy. sure the financial burden isn't there but often neither is trust or true friends etc.

tokioangel95 · Answer

Not always but a more often than kids who grew up in poorer families. I grew up in a very middle class family, money was never a problem and never created problems, it was never really a discussed topic at any point. I also grew up in a one parent family , money benefitted my family timewise, my dad was able to work less when he needed to and take us to places because he had time and was pretty much always there except when work took him abroad.

sweet_18 · Answer

Money does make for a more comfortable lifestyle, yes. But there are many other factors that determine whether or not a child is happy. These things have nothing to do with money.

Statistically, however, children who grow up in a higher socio-economic standard are probably more likely to be happy due to positive correlations but I'm not gonna get into that.

Anonymous · Answer

Not always, but most of the time. most rich parents have worked hard to ensure that their children can have good and comfortable lives.

The thing is that if all the variables were the same between the rich and poor child except their financial situation then the rich kids will generally be happier, because most of their worries won't be potentially life threatening.

There are hardships that rich children may have (e.g being neglected and being judged by others) but poor kids also have their own hardships (e.g poverty)

Anonymous · Answer

Its hard to say... But If you have rich parents they expect you to have a Great job and have the same sucess they did and its really hard to achieve such standards...

Only If you are really really rich your parents won't care whatever you do Like Paris Hilton but I think she us quite miserable as she has no goal as she has it all...

Beign born in a poor family isn't that bad as you grow Up faster with your own resorces and that makes you happy...

I could say I had An easy life because my parents have money but not enough to the point I don't need to work So its tough for me to achieve the same life standards by myself...

lorenza · Answer

I agree. Also, I know so many 'rich kids' with dysfunctional families. They're insecure and uses money to 'buy' friends.

You really can't buy happiness with money. To me, a warm supportive family is all an individual needs in life, seriously

Eiffelgirl21 · Answer

It depends on the family.

If the family is rich, but with a strong, loving backbone, then yes, they will be happier.

If the family is rich, but not strong or loving, then no, they will not be happier.

Anikaj · Answer

I think different lifestyles create different problems. I would be much happier living in between and under the radar and I think at a certain point in everyone's life all they truly want to to be able to be stable and take care of their family and responsibilities

Anonymous · Answer

From my experience I'll say, kids that grow up in poor families have a harder time getting by and that just makes family life so much more stressful. The rich kids, like the ones that grew up in 10 million dollar compounds (mansions) seem to have a better relationship with the help then they do with their parents. Their families are hardly ever around, and that absence of family is also a major stressor. I think middle class to upper middle class kids are probably happiest. They have enough to get by so their somewhat happy, but their family still has time to be around so there is a better family unit. I grew up hanging out with kids that lived in the projects all the way up to giant compounds on the intercostal and ocean and everywhere in between.

kinkynconfused · Answer

People who grow up in well off households are necessarily happier, but they have less life stress from financial problems.  I suppose they still gripe though, because on their sweet 16 they got a new green car instead of a red one whereas we poor bastards are griping about how to come up with gas money.

glitterberryalisa · Answer

"Mo money Mo problems!" listen to Notorious BIG, he knows what's UP.

Anonymous · Answer

nopeee. I would consider my family quite rich, my dad was very poor growing up so now he works all the time to raise money so we can be rich. it kind of sucks because I never see him, and my sister recently graduated high school and she never really had to try, and she probably won't ever learn how to be a grown up becuase she will get her trust fund and she won't have to work. so nope money won't make someone happy for life!

TimeAndTimeAgain · Answer

Not always. Poor people can be happy too. It depends on your definition of happiness. Rich people have different standards than poor ones. A rich person might not be capable of being happy, if they didn't live in a big house, with Internet, pool, TV, etc. A poor person though, might just settle for a simple place with a hammock, where they can hang out with friends. Things like that. :o

CubanRaftRider · Answer

I think so.  In high school it was the rich kids who never had to get a job to buy their car or put gas in it.  Thus it turned into they got more time for sports and studying.  That led to better grades so they got scholarships.  That led to me having to pay for college which made me poorer than before.  Go American dream!

somnambulated · Answer

Well actually, there is a higher rate of depression among those of lower socioeconomic status.

BurningHammer · Answer

"You'd be happier with more money than less" has always been my mantra but it ultimately is contingent upon the environment one is raised in; that is, money is inconsequential in the context of how happy/well-adjusted a child is.

rocksongwriter · Answer

It's all about how tight the family unit is. I would guess the poor family is happier because they have to rely on each other more which builds bonds.

kaitlovesyou · Answer

My family is pretty well off but I'd give it all up to have my whole family back tbh

Iamnobody · Answer

no. you can have all the money in the world but if you don't have love and affection you're basically better off dead.

bigmike16 · Answer

Nope, because in my neighbor hood there are tons of people jogging, walking, biking, etc every f***ing day. They live in these big ass houses and half of the time they are not even home and sometimes rich kids don't always see there parents. Like I heard from my sis once that at her school she has a rich friend who is being watched by a babysitter for a week or so because her parents are in Las Vegas.

6Paul11 · Answer

Money might not buy happiness, but it sure pays the bills...

Rashad · Answer

It all depends on their parents.

If their parents are very rich then they are unhappy because parents don't have anytime to devote to their kids. But if they are just rich and parents have time to spend with their kids then they are happy.

I guess this just doesn't apply to rich families but to poor/average incomed families too. Childs happiness depends on their parents.

wickys · Answer

If I had the money to buy the stuff I wanted. My god I would have had a broad smile all day long, even when sleeping.

justjumpit4 · Answer

Having less teaches you to appreciate the simpler things in life :)   Atleast I think so.

Xx_DRE_xX · Answer

Nah but they seem to much more nicer sh*t they don't appreciate :D

jayzee · Answer

I don't think so , i guess it is the other way around. Rick kids doesn't understands the smaller happiness's in life.

JohNfromKolob · Answer

u ever see someone frowning on a waverunner?

stillagoodgirl · Answer

I heard poorer people tend to be happier

Anonymous · Answer

Yes money makes things better

johari · Answer

Not always

NewClassic · Answer

I believe so

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