Chris Rock explains the difference between 'rich' versus
'wealthy':
Money is a form of wealth. So is health - both physical and
mental. So are education, youth, social connections, power,
fame, physical attractiveness and the charisma that comes
from a sense of well-being and self-worth. These things tend
to go along with one another, since the possession of any
one makes getting the others easier. I would define wealth
as: human reproductive fitness, real or perceived. So Snoop
Dogg, for instance, isn't wealthy in the Chris Rock sense
- his financial well-being may turn out to be fleeting. But
he possesses other forms of wealth: his fame, looks and charisma.
America is the wealthiest nation in the history of the world,
as represented by gross domestic product. There are other
measurements we could use, few of which are as gratifying
to our national ego: self-reports of happiness, infant mortality,
artistic and scientific achievement, and the various other
manifestations of moral wealth. Social science has discovered
what many world cultures take to be common sense: once your
basic food and shelter needs are met, increased financial
resources ceases to correlate with increased self-described
happiness. We have a lot of stuff here in America, but we
have a limited understanding of our primate selves' deeper
needs and desires. Until we
can relinquish our magical thinking, we'll continue to be
unhappy, no matter how rich we are.
Here's an assessment of my own personal wealth.
Health
Sensational, from the neck down. Some residual difficulties
with my anxiety system.
Educational
Again, sensational. Top-shelf prep
schooling and college.
My anxiety level kept me from paying attention a lot of
the time, but I've been filling in the gaps steadily through
my adult life.
Financial
My late father set me up well, thank you. Even though the
suddenness of his early death meant we paid the maximum
taxes possible on his estate, the remainder represents a
healthy chunk of change. The rest of my family is on stable
financial footing too, but my dad is providing the serious
venture capital for my various ventures.
Emotional
Uneven. I was the recipient of much loving attention growing
up, but also witness to much strife. My parents were spared
having to reconcile their conflicts by divorcing, but those
conflicts live on in my head, and in some of my relationships
with other people. The situation is well under control,
due to a combination of talk therapy, medication, creative
outlets and a sensational
marriage, but it was touch and go for a while there.
Social
I was a nerdy, awkward and unpopular kid. I was under the
impression that therapy would cure me of being so introverted
and antisocial, but instead it's just made me feel better
about being introverted and antisocial. Ironically, making
peace with my essential introversion has made dealing with
other people easier.