Quote:
Originally posted by Jim Cesiro
Children of people who are big earners and under accumulators of wealth tend to follow the example of the parents and end up being a financial drain on them for their entire life.
I guess I should call my dad and thank him for forcing me to earn everything I have today.
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Ditto.
My father was very successful, after a very poor upbringing. When we hade some estate issues after his death, the attorneys were pretty impressed with me. "Shirt sleaves to shirt sleaves in three generations" is what they normally see. A hard working guy does well, the son squanders it away, and the grandson is back to working hard.
My dad was more concerned with raising me to be able to stand on my own two feet. When I turned 16, he told me I could have any car I wanted:
"Decide what you want, and figure out a way to pay for it"
Sounds a bit cruell on the surface, but a bit deeper, it is true, and motovating. This is a land of opportunity. I can do far more by "Figuring out how to pay for it" than by accepting handouts.
I owe so much to my dad for what he did not give me.