I’m not usually a jealous guy. I’ve had a lucky life so far. I’ve found true love, travelled to 60 countries, lived 11 of my 28 years overseas, received the best education money can buy, and enjoy my work for the most part. I live a pretty simple lifestyle. I don’t care about clothes, cars, or other fancy items. I love my books, my movies, and eating.
While I am in sound financial condition, many of my hometown friends in BC are quite rich. I have never, ever felt jealous of them in any shape or form. All of their wealth, by the way, is inherited wealth. Most of them are not as successful in business terms as their fathers.
However, I just learned that a junior high friend of mine from a modest background (27 years old now…lost touch with him for years) cofounded a company and the stock price of this company has exploded. Basically, this junior high friend has made US$20 million or more in the last two years. He has even been featured in Forbes magazine.
I find myself feeling slightly jealous of him (we had a falling out about 12 years ago), something that I have never felt with any of my other friends :loco: Is this normal? Why am I more jealous of him? Because he is young and self-made?
Sitting in a Taiwan slum (sorry, that’s what it is, even if my wife thinks it is middle class) I feel jealous about my friends back home buying houses in clean cities or driving fancy cars in empty streets, having children and not worrying about how they grow up.
I was ashame of those feelings.
Until I learned it is a nature instinct to thrive for the better.
Um … guess I have more catching up to do then you, pal
So get back to sleep.
[quote=“jdsmith”]Chewy, think about all the can’t-ever-get-out-of-obligations this “successful” guy now has.
If you want to compare, make sure you compare back the other way too. [/quote]
Yeah, this guy now has to worry about giant octopusses dragging his custom yacht to the icy depths or spilling his eightball all over the carpet when his Lear hits some turbulence.
Mistresses are expensive too…and they constantly whine about not having enough goodies. “Fly me to Rome, now!”…that kind of shit
Chewy -
Just congratulate the guy and wish him well. His success does not lessen you or your chances to equal or surpass him in any way.
As has been said - there is always somebody richer, faster, younger or more lucky - no matter who you are.
Anecdote :
Once I was driving from LA to Los Wages and doing an honest 150 mph.
Open road, no traffic, just cruising along feeling fine.
Next thing I know, some doofus behind me is flashing his light to pass.
Beep beep zoooom! He passes.
I feel slightly deflated, but it happens.
Be happy you know him and just wish the dude well.
Better for your head.
I know the feeling. Never really felt that way until I went home last year. A friend of mine (we’ve been friends for almost 20 years) started a restuarant a few years ago. He now has two restuarants and mining supply company and makes bucketsful of money. On the one hand I’m very happy for him, but on the other hand I’m also really envious.
But to back up the excellent advise given above, I also remember that I’ve seen and done many things that he hasn’t and probably never will.
So, as Einstein once said, “Everything’s relative.”
Chewycorns, this kind of jealousy / envy is useless. Number one, you are not him, and you are happy being you. Just continue being you.
This old friend of yours is in a different body and who knows if he is as happy as you are. Knowing you, I guess not. Yes, wish him well and stop comparing. Would you really want to be in his shoes?
And it’s just money on paper, he doesn’t have that money in cash.
I have the similar feeling of my classmates/friends.
I was jealous not because of their fortune but talent.
We used to be the best partners and opponents in every competition but somehow I felt myself couldn’t catch up their paces. We were once labeled genius (solving/studying freaking hard math problems and programs during high school.) but then I knew that I couldn’t be as good as them. I stopped chasing their glories.
I watched them win every international contest (Gold prize in International Olympaid in Information and the fourth place in ACM World Final contest) and being cheered by every people around them.
It was a really hard time for me because we both dedicated our high school life on it (My high school life was nothing else but solving these freaking hard math problems. My parents even asked me to stop because I skipped every class and my grades were getting worse. The eagerer to catch up their paces, the more things I have to trade.), but in the end I got nothing.
I know my self-pride will keep pushing me and we do keep creating dreams and wish they come true. “Luck always favors the prepared”, thanks for the previous post reminding me that. And it’s still a long long journey before we reach the end of our life.
And it’s still a long long journey before we reach the end of our life.