Why is it that people that have money thinks that they are better than the ones who don't?

Question

I live in a small town and my hubby works for the gas company. People who have money call in the middle of the night , demanding that he gets there to fix what's wrong. I hate that. Why is it that just because you have more money, you think you can treat people like dirt. Pisses me off and makes me mad, because lots of them have never worked a day in their lives and could probably used a few lessons as to how life really works.

Ok, to clarify myself. I do work and believe me even if you do explain to them that he is with his family , they don't care. That's his job and I'm not mad about that, i'm mad about the fact that they demand, not ask. I have a home daycare and I know how to talk to people.

Joseph this answer is for you....I hope you read it. I'm glad your dad worked 70 hours a week, I do too. People seem to think I'm jealous because they have money. I'm not. And the reason they are rude when they call is not because they have a company to run, because they are sitting at home doing nothing. Believe me i've been there and I know. They are annoying because when they call they tell you " Do you know where I live" and then they tell my husband they know his boss. They are trying to intimidate him to go there faster because they have money. I work for a living and I make good money too, so does my husband. I'm just saying that just because you have more money doesn't give you the right to be rude or mean or disrespectul. " I dont care what kind of business you run or how much hours you work or what time of the day it is. RESPECT IS RESPECT.

And by the way, I know some very rich people that are extremely nice. I'm not putting all the rotten eggs in the same basket. I used to be a nanny, for a very rich family and they treated me like I was gold. They took care of me, cared about my feelings, gave me vacations when I didn't expect it etc....So I DO know that not ALL rich people are the same.

Answer 1

I agree i live in the richest county in america and the people here are so snobby i can't stand it. they dont care about the world around them

Answer 2

Well this cannot possibly be ALL of of his clientele that act with such rude behaviour. Is he on 24 hour call at all ? They probably call him and no one else because they trust him. I can understand not wanting to go out in the middle of the night , but if it is a gas problem it should be tended to right away. And NO these people SHOULD show more respect when talking to you and your husband. There is no excuse for rudeness. I own my own shop and once in great while we will get customers in that I truly wish I could just come over my counter and smack !!! But I don't. I just smile and nod and continue with my politeness. Would it help for your HUSBAND to talk to HIS boss? Also does this problem bother your HUSBAND or is it a PERSONAL issue? If it does not bother HIM then just let it be. It could cause you problems in the long run. Really it is not that bad. My brother is a Fireman and he is always on call - we too are in a small town pop. around 650 -
Your husband sounds like a fine and good man, I mean that he see's to it that the people are safe and he must really care about them to make unscheduled trips late at night. Be greatful that you KNOW where he is going after a phone call.

Answer 3

Sadly,it's the folks that were born into money and do not appreciate the work required to build a fortune.In my experience,those that have come up through the ranks know what it is like to be less fortunate,and will identify with folks that do not have as much.Look at Warren Buffet.He is giving 37 Billion to fight world hunger and help those that need it.He is a true humanitarian,that has worked to build his fortune.Bravo!!Rich people who look down on others less fortunate have no souls,and are not happy with themselves.No amount of money can buy love and respect.

Answer 4

It has everything to do with class. Just because someone has money doesnt make them a decent human being. It's not hard to be polite and make a request instead of a demand. When my husband was in college he had a job delivering pizzas. So many of the rich people in town would order pizzas in a blizzard & not even give him a tip. I would never dream of doing that to someone or demanding a service.

Answer 5

There is no reason for bad manners no matter what your social standing is! Even if it is in the middle of the night and you need a service person to come to your aid, and you are poor as a church mouse or richer than rich, you still treat people with common courtesy. Simply because one has money does not give them the right to be rude.

Answer 6

Some people think that their money buys them class or something, but those are the "low class rich people". Not every wealthy person is like that. In fact, I have met a lot more poor folk with 'tudes than wealthy people with 'tudes. I have to disagree with your assessment that a lot of wealthy folk have "never worked a day in their lives." Most of the wealthy people I know have sacrificed having fun to get their educations so that they can pull themselves out of the hole. And most have worked their fingers to the bone! Most are willing to be mentored with good financial advice and have learned to deny themselves instant gratification. Now that they are in a position in life to enjoy themselves, they do. Sure, some of them can be rude and that may be a product of how they were raised. But not all wealthy people are rude or uncaring. A lot of us have been between a rock and a hard spot, so we can emphathize.

Answer 7

I feel ya girl!

Here's an example. My husband works at a Dental Clinic and runs the front office. One of the dentists got pissed off because the shredder was full. After working at the clinic for a while and staying after hours, he would know that a cleaning crew is responsible for any mess! Anyway, he emptied the shredder, put the shredded pieces of paper in a trash bag, put it in my husband's office and THEN wrote a note on the trash that said: "Read your E-mail. Dr. ******"

Anyway, this e-mail goes on to say how he paid $200,000 worth of dental school and should not be picking up trash. He sent this e-mail to everyone in the clinic. (I think he tried to target my husband more than anyone...) Fortunately, there's a doctor that runs the entire clinic that is above Dr. ******. Anyway, he got his BUTT chewed out! Dr. ****** should give everyone an apology for making them feel below him. It's like, if you're not a doctor, then you're nobody. What a BUTT HEAD!

Answer 8

Aren't you over reacting a bit. It really seems to be festering and festering with you. I'd either let it go or have your husband change to a 9 to 5 job - not work for the gas company where do can expect such calls from concerned people who are not necessarily all rich.

Answer 9

I think they try to put themslves in a higher level because they have the power as they think,because money is power as they are secured by their wealth!But I know some rich friends who are very kind!But that behaviour is unfair you are both paying taxes,there should be an equality regarding the normal treatment to each other!They do not have the rights to be arrogant on the phone,if they want to be king and queen they must do that with their maids and do whatever they want!Ignore them,someday bad karma will be granted for them!

Answer 10

I think that there are at least two reasons that SOME people who are wealthy feel superior to those who aren't. First, unless their money was inherited, they probably earned it because of having completed higher education, possessing at least a four-year college degree. During their college years, they learned more than is printed in books or discussed in classrooms. Therefore, they are probably better informed than those who did not have the same experience. And, those who have no more than a high school education do not usually qualify for high-demand, high-pay positions in the modern economy.

Second, those who inherit their wealth are socialized to "feel superior" to the rest of us. As a family tradition, they attend prep schools, like Choate, which only reinforce their feelings of superiority. Then, when they go to college, they have the kinds of experiences that I stated above.

But, remember that not all wealthy people fall into the "superiority trap." Many give time and money to charitable causes. (Andrew Carnegie, one of the wealthiest men of the early twentieth century, gave away nearly all of his money.) Some go into public service, making far less money than they could make in the corporate world. (Franklin D. Roosevelt never accepted a penny in salary during his twelve years as President of the United States). And, many realize that they were damn lucky to be born into wealth or be in circumstances that allowed them to pursue a higher education and realize that they are no better than anyone else. (Although this is a terrible example, I think it's worth passing along: Donald Trump once went from a mutimillionaire to a debtor who owed more than $200,000,000. He was on a date with some international beauty bimbo, when they passed a homeless man who was asking for hand-outs. The bimbo made some disparaging remark, and Trump claims that he told her that the man was $200,000,000 richer than he.

It's an interesting comment, but a bad example because, even when he hit bottom, Trump's reputation allowed him to lead the life of a wealthy man. Now, of course, he's back on top.)

Finally, remember that there are different definitions of work. Most people understand manual labor or craftsmanship. Few understand "cerebral labor," that is work that almost exclusively involves thinking. Do the people who contribute expertise to various "think tanks" work? Does Bill Gates work while he's thinking up new marketing strategies, different applications for his products, or reading the thousands of requests that are received by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation? Am I "working" while writing this reply to your question?

I can respond with some degree of authority and knowledge to certain questions posed on this site, but I can't repair a gas line. So, who's important? Your husband? I? Or, both of us, but in different ways?

Answer 11

Personally, i believe your statement to be very close-minded and naive. Its very much so a generalization, and i doubt you have ever so much as thought that maybe rich people do work hard; that is, in fact, how they get to be where they are in life. I seriously doubt that the "people with money" calling your husband late at night are doing so from their beds curled up by their wives. NO. Theyre at work pulling off 14 or more hour wordays trying to keep their company running. Theyre in a position of power, which means that they have deadlines to meet and need to do so by cutting corners, pulling long nights, and making their employees do so as well. Everyone is obligated to make sacrifices every once in a while to make do.

The snobbish rich people you speak of do exist, im not denying that. They are spoiled people who probably inherited their money and as a result don't need to work to get by. I myself am an upper middle class student; my dad built his company from the ground up, hes worked 70 hour work weeks for the past 30 years of his life. Sure we're wealthy now, but when he started off he lived in a tiny apartment struggling to make ends-meet. And me, i'm a successful hardworking student, which will probably reflect my success later in life; you think i don't work hard to pull of straight A's in high school while taking four AP college course classes? with more power comes more responsibilities, so dont judge wealthy people unless youve been there and know what its like to be under that kind of stress.

oh yeah. and to that auntie chick two comments above:

its not ignorance. Theyre just grumpy, because theyre up at 2 AM in the morning working their asses off while everyone else is asleep. think about it.