Could you respect yourself?
By AidaLily
@AidaLily (1450)
United States
January 19, 2012 9:25am CST
Now, here is a question I think a lot of people don't necessarily consider.
Imagine you have that job, found that opportunity, or even have that job in which you are making a decent amount to a ridiculous amount of money.
With this amount of money, let's say you average $150,000USD a year (if you live in another country then just do a conversion) and you lived in a semi-decent to decent area and you are living within your means (meaning no excess spending of things you don't need.)
Could you respect yourself if you knew that you could most likely pay a lawyer to get you out of any and everything that you might do and did? Could you respect yourself if you just threw a hundred dollars at someone when needed to get out of a situation or wasted it on things you don't need just because you could show off and say look I have this?
Could you respect a family member who does this? Or a potential partner whose family does this?
Is it more important to have money to do what you want, than having respect for yourself if you know what the right thing to do is? Do you consider a person spoiled for doing this and if you were them would you do the same?
11 responses
@Luckygal777 (107)
• Malaysia
19 Jan 12
I value money as something important to make one comfortable but i wouldn't want to become cocky because of it. Besides i hate people who are proud.I can't respect someone who is proud because he has money even if he is a family member, i would never be close to that kind of person because sometimes even if you don't want to be, you can become addicted by getting close to that kind of person. Lastly, you must first respect yourself before others can respect you. If you don't, then nobody will ever, i mean ever respect you.
@AidaLily (1450)
• United States
19 Jan 12
I agree. You wouldn't believe how many people who have slightly better paying jobs believe that they deserve respect because they have more money than you would. I don't associate with people like that because you can see how much they love the money and having it. Thanks for responding.
@repzkoopz (1895)
• Philippines
19 Jan 12
its funny how people change when they start raking in the buck.. you get to see how their attitudes change in the process.. but in the end, its how they changed that matters..
not everybody changes for the worse when they earn money. some people actually become better people, thinks more about helping others, and actually tend to rake in even more money because they're helping more people. 
in my case, i don't think i'd be able to respect myself if i become some idiot who thinks money can buy everything, nor would i be able to respect someone who thinks like that. money isn't bad.. its the "love" for money that makes people bad..
in my case, i don't think i'd be able to respect myself if i become some idiot who thinks money can buy everything, nor would i be able to respect someone who thinks like that. money isn't bad.. its the "love" for money that makes people bad..@AidaLily (1450)
• United States
19 Jan 12
No not everyone changes for the worst but a lot of people who have that 'love' for money do. I always wonder if people realize that you can't take money with you when you pass away or something. I mean I am happy not making that much and yet there are people who need to make that much and if they do, they become horrible. The ones that help people aren't bad but the majority of people seem to become selfish when they make more money.
@CRIVAS (1815)
• Canada
19 Jan 12
First of all I would never act like that if I had money. I would spend my time helping others (especially family and friends) with the money that I had. If there was someone I knew who did act like that, I would stop talking to them. Just because a person has a lot of money, doesn't give them the right to act like you discribed, or like they are better than everyone. I think that people who behave that way, do so because despite having money, they are not happy. I think that if a person was acting like that it would be a big sign that they are spoiled.
@AidaLily (1450)
• United States
19 Jan 12
I agree. It gives them no right and most think they are entitled to acting that way and anyone who tells them differently is jealous they don't have the same amount of money. It is a very sad thing but its nice to know there are still people who believe in helping others.
@megamatt (14292)
• United States
20 Jan 12
You know, I have never had any money like that and I don't know how I would handle the temptation of having money to get out of everything rather easily. I'd like to think I wouldn't do it, but there is a rather slippery slope that many people fall down. I'm sure there are people who get into politics for example and say "no I won't be corrupt." And after a couple of years, they become corrupt.
I'm sure that there may be a chance where I'll do something where I will not be able to look myself in the mirror during the next morning. There are just going to be many situations where it is going to seem to be rather scary and unfortunate to say the very least. It does seem like the easy way out, but when people have the resources, it sadly does seem like the obvious step. In the real world, spoiled jerks tend to run the show more often than not. Its sad but true.
@cearn25 (3456)
• Philippines
20 Jan 12
How good will that be having a good career and nice salary. If that happens, my self-respect still remains for this is what my parents taught me to be. I won't be greedy much on things which I know will be a very big help to others. Though I receive that amount of money, I don't have the right to be superior to others. That is not the way I think when I will be like that or at least be able to become successful someday. I always look back to people who have helped me to become a very successful person especially to God and my parents.
@roberten (3128)
• United States
19 Jan 12
I think it is wasteful to use money in this manner. I would rather donate my excess funds to a worthy cause than to waste it by playing a big shot. Big shots are not respected, just their money; when the money is gone, so is the respect. Some people crave attention so badly that they will do almost anything to get it, including wasting perfectly good money. I do not know what I would do personally if I had such extra money but I hope I would behave more appropriately.
@deedee328 (1122)
• United States
20 Jan 12
I would have no problem with self respect issues if I could afford an attorney if I needed the services of one. I would not "waste" money, no matter how much of it I may have. I am not the type to show off either. I would have a hard time respecting people who do let money rule them that way.
I would rather be dirt poor and be able to face the reflection in the mirror than to have all the money in the world.
If I were to ever acquire more money than I actually needed, I would do just what I do now, and I would share it with my family, friends, and anyone I saw was in need of it. I am a firm believer in the two greatest commandments God gave us and one of those is to love your neighbor as you do yourself. I could not claim to love God above all others and love my neighbor if I were to allow money to have that kind of control over my life and make me so selfish as to just throw it away on needless things when there are people in need.
@haopee (493)
• Philippines
19 Jan 12
What a fascinating question. I for one would know for a fact what I would be like if I had that kind of money. But realistically speaking I might in fact end up like a rich obnoxious bigot, who has way too much money and thinks that he/she could get away with everything just because they have money.
But if I had that kind of money right now, with the experiences that I had accumulated in the past years. Of course, I would think that this behavior is absolutely appalling.
I guess its all in how you've grown up. Basically if you have grown up not knowing the real value of a person, time, property and education. You could become the person you loathe right now.
Excellent question aidalily.
Good day.
@jennigoff33 (332)
• United States
19 Jan 12
I can have money and still live the same lifestyle. I actually choose this lifestyle. Sometimes I go cheap other times not so much but it is because of the quality on a product in some cases. I could not live with myself if I had money and choose it over good moral behavior. I would rather be poor and have a better outlook on ethics than be rich and use that to buy my way out of things.
