While there are examples of wealthy people getting into drugs or something that destroys them, you don't need money to destroy yourself with drugs there are plenty of dirt poor Appalachians doing that every day. I don't see any evidence of a causal relationship, and this is one of the well known narratives to get poor people to accept being poor.
"Rich people are rich because they are so frugal and save every penny"
"Being rich doesn't make you happy! Rich people are miserable!"
"Rich people work 120 hour weeks and way harder than most people, are you sure you even want to work that hard and sacrifice your family and happy simple life??"
"Being rich is less important than being honorable, moral, and religious, in fact being rich makes it harder to be those things so you are better than them actually!"
If any of this true people who get rich wouldn't fight so hard to keep it. The reality is that human society is just incredibly cruel and unfair.
Gatsby got destroyed because his wealth was from prohibition (the wrong way to make money), and didn't gain him the respect he wanted, nor was it sufficient to gain the respect of the woman Gatsby was chasing.
The 1920s classic novel is about the core of the Gilded age. Money is better than not money, but the issue with the 'money' was the incredibly fake culture you needed to achieve money quickly. Doubly so during the original roaring 1920s, prohibition and the rise of criminal gangs and organized crime.
Anyone who did make money (new money) would be naturally distrusted by the old money, who had other ideas of how money should have been made.
The main character of Gatsby (the narrator, Gatsby's friend and point of view for the novel) is similarly upper class and comfortable. Just not as wildly rich as Gatsby.
It's not that money corrupts you or whatever. The actual book is a good analysis into money and it's place in society. Those who chase money when they 'should' have been chasing popularity or other shallow needs are going to be disappointed.
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There are certain modern 2025 analogies to the Gatsby book and concept. It does feel like we are in a fake Gilded age again after all.
While there are examples of wealthy people getting into drugs or something that destroys them, you don't need money to destroy yourself with drugs there are plenty of dirt poor Appalachians doing that every day. I don't see any evidence of a causal relationship, and this is one of the well known narratives to get poor people to accept being poor.
"Rich people are rich because they are so frugal and save every penny"
"Being rich doesn't make you happy! Rich people are miserable!"
"Rich people work 120 hour weeks and way harder than most people, are you sure you even want to work that hard and sacrifice your family and happy simple life??"
"Being rich is less important than being honorable, moral, and religious, in fact being rich makes it harder to be those things so you are better than them actually!"
If any of this true people who get rich wouldn't fight so hard to keep it. The reality is that human society is just incredibly cruel and unfair.
Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
Perchik: "Money is the world's curse!"
Tevye: "May the Lord smite me with it! And may I never recover!"
Gatsby got destroyed because his wealth was from prohibition (the wrong way to make money), and didn't gain him the respect he wanted, nor was it sufficient to gain the respect of the woman Gatsby was chasing.
The 1920s classic novel is about the core of the Gilded age. Money is better than not money, but the issue with the 'money' was the incredibly fake culture you needed to achieve money quickly. Doubly so during the original roaring 1920s, prohibition and the rise of criminal gangs and organized crime.
Anyone who did make money (new money) would be naturally distrusted by the old money, who had other ideas of how money should have been made.
The main character of Gatsby (the narrator, Gatsby's friend and point of view for the novel) is similarly upper class and comfortable. Just not as wildly rich as Gatsby.
It's not that money corrupts you or whatever. The actual book is a good analysis into money and it's place in society. Those who chase money when they 'should' have been chasing popularity or other shallow needs are going to be disappointed.
-----------
There are certain modern 2025 analogies to the Gatsby book and concept. It does feel like we are in a fake Gilded age again after all.
I was reminded of John Scalzi's Being Poor
https://whatever.scalzi.com/2005/09/03/being-poor/
All I ask is the chance to prove it.
So, has anyone sent a copy of Babylon Revisited to elon yet?