According to a recent Gallup Organization poll, more than half of young men think it is very likely or somewhat likely that someday they will be rich. Individually, I mean, not that they will all be rich.
I'll start over.
When asked, "Looking ahead, how likely is it that you will ever be rich? Would you say it is � very likely, somewhat likely, not very likely, or not at all likely?" 58% of males aged 18-29 answered either very likely or somewhat likely. That seems to me ... optimistic. Or insane.
On the other hand, people under thirty are more likely to define "rich" in lower numbers than older folks like myself, so maybe the issue is also semantic, in that if 20% of males aged 18-29 imagine it's likely that someday they will have $250,000 in assets and that they will be rich, and 20% of males aged 50-64 think that they do have $250,000 in assets and that they are not rich, I'm not sure that the younger ones are more optimistic than the older ones.
On the other hand, fewer women than men say they are likely to be rich someday, and also tend to define "rich" lower than men. Is that double pessimism? A reflection of reality? A difference in the way men and women interact with pollsters?
So, gentle readers. Are you rich? Are you likely to be rich someday? How much would your assets need to be worth to consider yourself rich? Your income?
Obligatory schmaltz: Your humble blogger is, tho' not affluent, rich in love. As Mack David says:
If you should ask me the amount
in my bank account
I'd have to confess that I'm slippin'
but that don't worry me, confidentially
I've got a dream that's a pippin
Thank you,
-Vardibidian.
Accepting the definition of “rich” in terms of physical or monetary assets, I think you’re quite right that those who are younger have a lower threshhold for rich than older folks. I also think that young men are likely to define “rich” in terms of being able to buy all the beer, pizza, and electronics that they want, rather than any particular amount of money.