Is boating for the rich? Feeling dismayed

[Northern Spy]

Does this mean that the "I hate people with larger boats than me but my hatred is justified because they are unhappy" thread is coming to a close?

Doubt it.

 

[Art]

Does this mean that the "I hate people with larger boats than me but my hatred is justified because they are unhappy" thread is coming to a close?

It's hard to close something this silly... but... Gawd - I hope so!

 

[Codger2]

And the happy self-made folks? They were probably always happy, but who could blame them for being happier after making a bundle....

 

[Larmex99]

Is boating for the rich......

In my definition 'rich' means you can pretty well buy anything you want without considering the price.

superyachts
Jets
Estates/Penthouse apartments all over the world
Staff

To run that lot You would probably need an income of tens of millions. So at a return of about 3% you would need capital of hundreds of millions.
I'm going to pencil in $200m as the minimum on the lowest step on the ladder.

That's going to change the person you are...........

You are talking ultra high net worth people. That is far removed from "rich". Yes, people in the uhnw category have lives that only a few thousand people in NA ever deal with. Regular wealthy people are happy at the same rate as everyone else, imo. I will never be qualified to comment on the other level of being wealthy.

 

[Rustybarge]

You are talking ultra high net worth people. That is far removed from "rich". Yes, people in the uhnw category have lives that only a few thousand people in NA ever deal with. Regular wealthy people are happy at the same rate as everyone else, imo. I will never be qualified to comment on the other level of being wealthy.

I'm nearly 60 retired on a pension with an old boat.

So for me it's not how much money can I make to buy a superyacht, a jet or a Ferrari.....

My question is very Zen: how can I simplify my life even more, how can I get by on less, what are the minimum essentials of life that I really need.

I find the less I have the happier I become.

 

[Skinny]

I hate to say this but we are one of the poorest nations in the world...including all the one percent'ers flying around in their private jets. We live our lives on an individual instead of community based function, do not know our own neighbors, and choose/prefer to catch up with people via Facebook rather than a cup of coffee. Our children cannot play in the streets anymore because of the "dangers" that are out there. We also continue to preach about climate change, increased energy costs, etc. yet how many people have actually stopped driving their useless crossover SUV?

Exactly...pretty lame and morally bankrupt if you ask me. I think anyone comparing boats and wealth amongst themselves and others has fallen victim to the same mentality.

Cheers mates

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
"Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most" Mark Twain.

 

[BandB]

Take Bill Gates:
?

Yes, let's take Bill Gates...Bill and Melinda with all their contributions to society. They sent funds and doctors to fight Ebola before any government agency had time to react. They're working to help in education around the world. He, Warren Buffett and 126 other Billionaires have pledged to give at least half their wealth to charity. Too bad we have such horrible and unhappy people as them. And do you really believe Bill and Melinda are unhappy? Actually I believe these are the happiest days of his life as he's not tied to a private sector job but he's free to pursue and accomplish good in the world.

I personally resent being judged by you when you don't even know me. Your belief that somehow wealth automatically makes persons unhappy is ill founded. I personally only know two billionaires personally and they're among the happiest persons I've ever met.

Let me tell you what having a little money does do for some of us. When we see a need, we can respond to it. We can get the pleasure of helping a single mom or a battered woman or being actively involved with an incredible orphanage and all the great children there on both a personal and financial basis. We can afford to experiment in our retail stores with better pay and benefits than other retailers because we're not dependent on profits to live.

If you're happier the less you have then that's just fine. If you believe all you're saying then that's fine. But for you to judge my wife's and my happiness is not fine, by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[kthoennes]

My grandfather was a German immigrant who came over here with nothing in the 1920's -- his parents sent him over because they didn't want to lose any more kids to the Kaiser's (or then Hitler's) wars. He started working the night shift in a bakery, then started his own bakery -- and by the time I was a kid he owned apartment complexes and shopping centers and restaurants and real estate development projects -- and boats -- all over the eastern US. I remember Granddad laughing at the dinner table, sounding and even looking a lot like Henry Kissinger -- he seemed plenty happy and blessed to me, even though he was rich. He'd also take me along to check on his construction projects in a brown Rambler station wagon that was such a beater that one of the doors was held closed with a piece of rope and the radio antenna was a coat hanger -- so I guess money doesn't always turn people into jerks, or make them unhappy, or make them forget where they started.

Last October my wife and I took a trip out to the East Coast to close the deal on our boat in Newport. One of my grandparents' first big houses was for sale in Connecticut so we took a look -- big iron gates, long driveway. I could buy that house now (just to be clear, nice house, but not Bill Gates' 60,000 square foot estate by any means). My family generation isn't filthy rich, and we each made our own way mostly (no trust fund babies) -- but looking at that house I got the overwhelming sense that through God's grace and generosity, and a persistent work ethic and self-discipline, we're still greatly blessed two and three generations later. And then we drove the rest of the way to Newport to buy the boat.

And so with all that history and that perspective in my head, you can see why I have very little patience with fretting and hand-wringing about income inequality. I wonder what Grandad would think of the debate now.

 

[MurrayM]

I used to smoke a pack a day and get drunk at least three times a week. Quit both, and now the same amount of money covers the fixed costs of our boat. I win

 

[Rustybarge]

Yes, let's take Bill Gates...Bill and Melinda with all their contributions to society. They sent funds and doctors to fight Ebola before any government agency had time to react. They're working to help in education around the world. He, Warren Buffett and 126 other Billionaires have pledged to give at least half their wealth to charity. Too bad we have such horrible and unhappy people as them. And do you really believe Bill and Melinda are unhappy? Actually I believe these are the happiest days of his life as he's not tied to a private sector job but he's free to pursue and accomplish good in the world.

I personally resent being judged by you when you don't even know me. Your belief that somehow wealth automatically makes persons unhappy is ill founded. I personally only know two billionaires personally and they're among the happiest persons I've ever met.

Let me tell you what having a little money does do for some of us. When we see a need, we can respond to it. We can get the pleasure of helping a single mom or a battered woman or being actively involved with an incredible orphanage and all the great children there on both a personal and financial basis. We can afford to experiment in our retail stores with better pay and benefits than other retailers because we're not dependent on profits to live.

If you're happier the less you have then that's just fine. If you believe all you're saying then that's fine. But for you to judge my wife's and my happiness is not fine, by any stretch of the imagination.

Of course I'm speaking of my own personal experience in my own life, and you from yours.

In my life I have know kings, Princes and and the mega rich; spiritually speaking of course, and none of them were materialistic people.

Is it possible to be rich and not be negatively affected by it?

 

[Art]

Of course I'm speaking of my own personal experience in my own life, and you from yours.

In my life I have know kings, Princes and and the mega rich; spiritually speaking of course, and none of them were materialistic people.

Is it possible to be rich and not be negatively affected by it?

I say respectfully and respectively... That is a silly question...

 

[Skinny]

The Gates are also under fire for providing vaccines that kill people. Of course no one in our civilization will tell you that because they are in bed with the FDA...another Federal program looking out for us

Bill openly admits that he is for depopulation...did I miss something here? He advocates for a global population of 500,000,000 which is carved in stone.

He is probably happy because him along with all the other billionaires are finding ways to eliminate common folk like us while convincing us that they are helping.

Sure, these guys are spending millions every year with charities, I would think with that kind of coin every starving or thirsty village around the world would be taken care of being that it is so cheap to live each day in other countries. I'm no math expert but if you take millions of dollars and divide by a dollar a day, that is a lot of zeros...or as I call them...people.

Here we are again, discussing wealth and money in the same sentence.

 

[Codger2]

I was about to congratulate you on your post #186 and then you wrote #193!

 

[psneeld]

Definitely a pattern of thinking that's easy to spot.....

I don't begrudge the wealthy one tiny bit...unless it was gotten by greed.

I used to run a boat for a pretty wealthy and let's say famous guy in certain circles for all the awards he would for bringing good to "poor people".

He thought Trump was the biggest a** on the planet because of his attitude and the art of the "deal".

My friend told me once that the most successful business deals were ones that not only everyone walked away from the table feeling a winner, they all were so pleased they would toss a nice tip on the table for the guy who came to clean up the room. There was a guy to admire. Self made, yet unpretentious and generous. I loved working for him...he even let me keep his yacht on a run from Fl to NJ for as long as I wanted as a honeymoon gift. He picked up all the costs....of course we were both reasonable about it.

Greed and selfishness keep people looking over their shoulder and with the obvious need for bodyguards. The good guys don't really need them all the time because they aren't newsworthy enough making jerks out of themselves.

 

[Skinny]

I was about to congratulate you on your post #186 and then you wrote #193!

Why? They are so closely related. I wasn't looking for anyone's approval with that statement. Nothing I presented was opinion whether you like it or not. Denial is a comfortable place to be

People in those starving and thirsty nations are rich because they actually care about themselves as a society and help one another. I don't think you can get any wealthier than that.

When Gates shows up with a solution like education in water and agricultural practice instead of vaccines full of chemicals, maybe I will think differently.

When 10 pages of thread exist to discuss wealth and such a small percentage of it discusses community, health, and human beings...sad day for all of us slaves

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
OK folks. This thread is getting downright silly IMO. I think everyone can point to someone who is rich/poor and state that they are happy/unhappy and be right/wrong 50% of the time. I don't care what a person has or hasn't, what they wear or don't or whether they stand up or sit down to pee! A simple question is becoming WAY too philosophical and complicated.
Mr. MS, the OP (remember him) has a plan (post #23). Sounds good to me and I wish him the best.

 

[Marin]

I thnk Gates is spot on. The world is overpopulated. All one has to do is travel in China, India, etc. to see that.

The "cure" for human overpopulation will come from the same place as the "cure" for the overpopulation of all life: nature or whatever one wants to call it.

Humans can stave it off longer than, say, lemmings or deer, but eventually the "cure" will begin to take effect.

And when the "cure" begins to take effect, the last people to be affected by it will be the very rich, particularly those with really expensive boats.

So the moral of the story is, if you don't want to be culled, buy a big-a$s boat.

 

[Skinny]

I agree, like it or not the evidence is right in front of us. Technology has allowed us to overpopulate to a point that the Earth cannot sustain. Simply look at our mainstream food supply in this country, it is a joke. Sure it has calories to create energy but with the abundance of cancer, diabetes, etc. NO ONE can say that everything is fine. Food lacks nutrient which is no longer present in our soil due to the turn over it takes to feed the population. This is really basic if you sift past the BS and I for one am no expert...I'm a dumb wrench turning mechanic capable of reading

People are extended beyond their means and if any glitch occurs, will be the first ones to panic because there is no buffer. Very few people actually create something of substance in this country. Wealthly people have exploited this and control the government. No matter what side of the fence you stand on politically, it is all bought and paid for by large corporations. Every wonder why you can go to a grocery store and get an on the spot flu shot free of charge paid for by your medical plan? Pretty convenient if you ask me. Sheeple don't question what rich people do and are victims because of it.

Those rich people are running the show, I'd say that is a valid enough reason to despise them...not because they have a large boat. You bought it for them

 

[psneeld]

Hope somebody is working for minimum wage in a totally green company, donating most of it to charity and volunteering most of their free time to non-profit organizations...

 

[Marin]

It is natural for the bottom of the heap to dispise the top of the heap. Dogs do it, crows do it, wolves do it. Hell, probably trees do it.

And it's natural for the bottom half of the heap to come up with all sorts of reasons why they should despise the top half of the heap, as in post 199..

While it makes the bottom half of the heap feel better about themselves, it's about the same thing as offering reasons why we should hate the sky because it's blue.

There are winners and there are losers. Always have been, always will be. The reasons are fun to talk about but it has no effect whatsoever on the reality of the situation.

I've found it to be a lot healthier and happier not to worry about it. If a human figures out how to acquire a bazillion dollars and buy a big boat, great. If I can't figure out how to make a bazillion dollars and buy a big boat, whose fault is that? It's not the fault of the fellow with the bazillion dollars and the big boat. It's my fault.

Mary Chapin Carpenter wrote a wonderful line in one of her songs: "We all have two lives, the one we're given and the one we make."

What you make of your life is on you, not anyone else.

 

[Nomad Willy]

The mindset here is 35 to 40' trawler type pleasurecraft.

The vast majority of pleasure boaters may be more like a fisherman w a line and a bobber in some Arkansas lake.

And then re the OP there's the definition of rich. I'm certianly not rich but many of my neighbors probably consider me so. They are more like the fisherman in Arkansas.

 

[hmason]

I have one wish and two rules to live by to achieve happiness and although I recognize the importance of financial security, these apply to all, rich or poor:

The wish: health for my family and me.

Rule # 1: From Sheryl Crow's song Soak up the Sun---"it's not having what you want, it's wanting what you have"

I rule #2: From "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas--- "and all your money not another minute buys"
Ok, maybe they are not "rules" but you get the point."

It would really make me happy to find the SOB that stole my shoes at the Palm Beach Boat Show.

 

[ksanders]

It is natural for the bottom of the heap to dispise the top of the heap. Dogs do it, crows do it, wolves do it. Hell, probably trees do it.

And it's natural for the bottom half of the heap to come up with all sorts of reasons why they should despise the top half of the heap, as in post 199..

While it makes the bottom half of the heap feel better about themselves, it's about the same thing as offering reasons why we should hate the sky because it's blue.

There are winners and there are losers. Always have been, always will be. The reasons are fun to talk about but it has no effect whatsoever on the reality of the situation.

I've found it to be a lot healthier and happier not to worry about it. If a human figures out how to acquire a bazillion dollars and buy a big boat, great. If I can't figure out how to make a bazillion dollars and buy a big boat, whose fault is that? It's not the fault of the fellow with the bazillion dollars and the big boat. It's my fault.

Mary Chapin Carpenter wrote a wonderful line in one of her songs: "We all have two lives, the one we're given and the one we make."


What you make of your life is on you, not anyone else.

Excellent post!!!

Two groups of people really are offensive to me. The group with resources that thinks they're better than others, and the group without resources that thinks the group with with resources must have cheated or done something wrong to get those resources.

 

[BandB]

Wifey B: Ok, Marin....what's the song that line is from?

 

[Art]

Personally:

I do not give a Flying Fck how much money any person is worth... be they fat or be they slim. What I do care about is a person's central core; i.e. ability to be truthful, kind, and ready to participate - in whatever!

If a person is rich due to cheating, stealing, conniving, lying, or other skullduggery means - Then; F Em! If a person is broke due to same and other reasons then too F'n bad. I will not associate with either type person.


I've been up and down financially as well as changes in other life circumstances, while I play my nonstop entrepreneurial lifestyle. None ever got me to alter my core values... happiness always was at hand. That said - it is lots of a good thing when plenty of riches are available to play and to help others with. When down on funds there are certain highlights in life that must be set aside.

 

[kthoennes]

I knew there was some reason I couldn't afford a brand new Kadey Krogen 58 Extended Bridge -- Bill Gates is conspiring against me!!

 

[hmason]

Personally:

I do not give a Flying Fck how much money any person is worth... be they fat or be they slim. What I do care about is a person's central core; i.e. ability to be truthful, kind, and ready to participate - in whatever!

If a person is rich due to cheating, stealing, conniving, lying, or other skullduggery means - Then; F Em! If a person is broke due to same and other reasons then too F'n bad. I will not associate with either type person.


I've been up and down financially as well as changes in other life circumstances, while I play my nonstop entrepreneurial lifestyle. None ever got me to alter my core values... happiness always was at hand. That said - it is lots of a good thing when plenty of riches are available to play and to help others with. When down on funds there are certain highlights in life that must be set aside.

C'mon Art, stop beating around the bush and tell us how you really feel!

 

[janice142]

I begrudge no one their funds, no matter if they are earned or inherited. Show me what sort of person they are and that's what is important. Do they chose to give to charities or to their flesh and blood? It makes no difference to me because it's not my money. And what I do with my money is frankly of no concern to you, nor should it be.

It matters little what you have -- life is about giving, and even among the wealthiest, you have no idea the personal struggles they are enduring. One of the children that went to school with my son was Profoundly (capital P) autistic, yet his daddy made millions. Want to bet that he'd give up that money for a smile from his son? Or how about even recognition? It was so sad... heart-wrenchinig really, and still brings an ache to my soul thinking of the family. No, I wasn't a personal friend -- just a mom who's had her own struggles with children.

Money can't buy health, it can't buy happiness, and it cannot buy friendships. A well-grounded individual, be it a minimum wage burger flipper or a trustifarian (trust fund baby) -- what counts is the inner stuff. How you and I treat folks is lots more important. And those rich folks? They are buying things that enable businesses to stay open, hire employees, donate to churches and charities, fund libraries and museums, and more. And it's their choice. Bless those that raise families who respect and are kind and generous, be they wealthy or not.

 

[Marin]

Wifey B: Ok, Marin....what's the song that line is from?

"The Hard Way."

Actually, I misquoted Mary. The line in her song is "We've got two lives. One we're given and the other one we make."