“I also got the impression that having a lot of money can turn a decent person into an asshole.”
– Susane Colasanti
Nobody thinks they’re going to change their fundamental values, personality, and identity over something as material as money, but most people who don’t have money don’t usually expect to naturally find themselves in the thick of it. Money does change people, because money changes literally everything about how people live their lives: what type of home they own, the neighbourhood they live in, what kinds of schools their kids have access to, their healthcare benefits, and the perceptions other people have of them. And once you’ve been exposed to a lot of money makes it exceptionally hard to go back to not having it, which can foster comfort, greed, and a desperation to fit into a certain community. But strong people, if they have a clear view of their true values, a passion for something that money cannot easily buy, and empathy for their fellow man, do not have to become assholes.
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