Does anyone treat you like you're below them -- whether it's because they have a higher position, nicer car, or bigger house? Kick them to the curb. If a person is so shallow as to put physical objects before the things that really count -- friendship, love, respect, humility -- give them the boot. No one is above anyone else. A janitor is just as deserving of others' respect and kindness as a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. One's possessions say nothing of their character. While I'm not trying to begrudge them their success -- especially if they worked their butts off to get what they have -- it should never make people feel entitled. Who's to say that the garbage man or waitress hasn't gone through tremendous hardship in life preventing him or her from going to school and rising above their station? And who's to say they can't eventually reach that point if they truly commit themselves? Yet, not everyone yearns to be rich. They ma...

People talk about winning the lottery as if it were the Holy Grail everyone is after. And, sure, having a lot of money can enhance your life in myriad ways. You can pay off your house and buy a much bigger one, purchase a luxurious car, do away with your college loan debt, buy expensive clothes and jewelry with no restraint, etc. Society tells us this is the ideal life. But is it really the kind of life we ALL yearn for? Not me. Instead, I just want to be comfortable financially, and that's well within everyone's reach by (1) saving up (2) scouring the internet and newspapers for great deals (3) staying within or below one's budget. I can only surmise that people who are rich feel immense pressure to display with their wealth. (Not to mention they likely get asked for money left and right by friends and relatives.) The issue is that I'm the farthest thing from a materialistic person, so if I found myself thrust into that situation, I would not feel compelled...

An article published recently by CNN reveals that eight men -- Warren Buffett, Carlos Slim, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Michael Bloomberg, Larry Ellison, and Amancio Ortega -- are insanely rich. Collectively, they're worth $426 billion, now controlling as much wealth as the world's poorest 3.6 billion people. To put it in perspective, the richest 1% has owned more wealth than the rest of the planet since 2015. In the U.S., the richest 1% control 42% of the wealth. And the problem is only getting worse. . Despite many world leaders sharing a common goal to reduce inequality, the gap between the rich and the rest continues to widen. In fact, seven out of 10 people live in a country where inequality has worsened over the past three decades. And over the past 25 years, the top 1% has gained more income than the bottom 50% combined. In other words, income and wealth are being funneled upwards at a staggering rate -- rather than trickling down. To boot, the...

If you were to come up with one word to describe your ideal life, what would it be? If several come to mind, try to winnow them down to the one word that best captures what you would consider the perfect life. Words like "rich" and "wealthy" didn't even cross my mind, for I am the farthest thing from materialistic. I think the best things in life tend to be free -- love, knowledge, laughter, companionship. For me, no word encapsulates the ideal life quite like simple . A self-proclaimed minimalist, I try to reduce as much clutter in my life -- both mental and physical -- as I possibly can. I respect those who find great fulfillment in owning the biggest houses, roomiest cars, and shiniest baubles. But that's just not me. I am much easier to please, finding satisfaction in the simplest things -- like reading a great book, taking a relaxing walk around the park, or watching an interesting documentary on TV. You're probably wondering whether ...

I recently had a conversation with a lady friend of mine in which she asserted that the next man she dates will have to be rich. I've also seen comments to Facebook posts in which some women reply with posts like, "it'd be better if he were a millionaire." It isn't always easy to distinguish between women who are flat-out gold diggers, and those who insist on a rich man only because they themselves dated moochers who took them for all they're worth. As you've probably noted in many of my posts, I am a big supporter of women's rights, especially when it comes to equal pay and equitable treatment in the workplace. However, I think women who use men for their money undermine those who genuinely want to work hard to progress in their respective jobs-- the women who aim to show their male bosses that they're deserving of the salaries their male colleagues earn. Gold diggers come off as lazy and entitled, giving some men more fodder not to com...

This post at How to Understand People explores whether women gravitate toward overly masculine guys -- the ones people like to call "alpha males." From what I have observed, the vast majority of women seem attracted to men who display at least a couple of characteristics typically associated with manly men --whether it be facial hair, overconfidence, or the ability to be handy around the house. However, you may have learned in psychology class that women have an instinctual drive to find a partner who can provide resources, i.e., money. And the fact is that any man can have resources -- whether he oozes manliness or is an all-out metrosexual. So what do women prefer? Though every woman is different, I believe most look for balance in their partners. The guy need not have to be the next macho Sylvester Stallone, but he should at least be predisposed to defend her in any given situation. He needn't be filthy rich with a luxurious car and yacht, but he should at leas...