Lewis Lapham: Poor Rich People
on Tuesday, June 21, 2011Lewis H. Lapham Money Quote saying believing you are rich doesn’t necessarily make it so – but being wealthy and feeling deprived makes it pointless. Lewis H. Lapham said:
“Never in the history of the world have so many people been so rich; never in the history of the world have so many of those same people felt themselves so poor” — Lewis H. Lapham
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In this quote, Lewis Lapham is highlighting a paradox about wealth and economic conditions. On the one hand, objectively there have likely never been as many people with high levels of material wealth, resources, and income as in the modern era.
However, subjectively many people feel a sense of financial insecurity, anxiety, and poverty despite their relative wealth. Lapham appears to be suggesting that as standards of living rise and comparisons proliferate in society, it is easier for people to feel poor in comparison to even wealthier individuals or in light of economic uncertainties.
So while facts say wealth is widely distributed, feelings of insufficiency and scarcity still persist for many. Overall, the quote examines the disconnect between objective and subjective states of financial well-being.
Birthday: January 8, 1935 – Death: July 23, 2024