My income is in a high percentile for the state I live in, but not for the neighborhood I live in. I'm wealthy. But like most of us, I've adapted my lifestyle to suit it, so I don't feel especially wealthy (although I do feel pretty well off). I drive a modest car, I live in a nice, but not big or ostentatious house in a nice, but not fancy neighborhood. My profession is full of people like me that make very good money relative to the average American, and most of my neighbors are in the same band. I suspect several of the folks reading this post are similar. I'm also exposed to people who make in excess of $10m/year, and others who don't really have "income" as much as very large investments that make my level of wealth feel paltry.
What strikes me is that it never feels like there isn't a need for more--even for those at the very top.
Conversely, in my profession I am exposed to people who literally have too much in the sense that if the things that make a person happy are their family, their relationships with others, their day-to-day enjoyment, and feeling valued, their money has taken over all of those. While they may feel valued, their family, their relationships, and their day-to-day enjoyment have all suffered as a result of their focus--and the people in their lives--on their money. I don't know how much it takes (and it's probably different for everybody), and I'm pretty sure I'll never get there, but it happens. Money really doesn't buy happiness--and too much of it really does buy problems.
And yet, I'm not volunteering to give mine away.
