According to the old saying, money simply can’t buy happiness. Although, wouldn’t you rather cry in a Rolls-Royce than laugh on a bicycle? Kind of a no-brainer.
However, according to Clay Cockrell, a psychotherapist for the extremely wealthy who wrote an op-ed for The Guardian – the super rich are miserable.
If you’re like me, you’ve rolled your eyes and have little or no sympathy for billionaires who are unhappy; surely their struggles do not compare to those of the impoverished?
Well, Cockrell addresses us specifically for a moment:
“There is a perception that money can immunize you against mental health problems when in reality I think wealth can make you, and those closest to you, much more susceptible to them.”
clay rooster
He then goes on to explain what it is that makes the wealthy elites so depressed. Not being able to trust anyone is a great cause. Cockrell poses the questions: “What would it be like if you couldn’t trust the people close to you? Or if you looked at any new person in your life with deep suspicion? and then he reveals that this is a challenge that the super-rich regularly struggle with.
Cockrell also details that once billionaires reach a certain level of success, they obviously take a step back from their businesses, but then become desolate because they no longer have a purpose in life. Cockrell says his “clients are often bored with life” due to “a lack of purpose and ambition”.
Then he talks about the children of the rich, who are incredibly spoiled by their rich parents, tend to suffer from insecurity and low self-esteem.
“An overindulged child becomes an entitled adult with low self-confidence, low self-esteem, and a complete lack of worth.”
clay rooster
Cockrell also explores that the reason super-rich kids often lack human connection and treat others terribly is because that’s the norm for them; that’s what they were taught is fine. He even muses that the Roy children (fictional characters who were born into a billion-dollar empire) in the popular TV series Succession are an accurate representation.
Cockrell ends his op-ed by declaring that he has come to empathize with the super-rich, saying, “For someone who has worked with them, I know their challenges are real and profound.”
I, on the other hand, am still a bit apathetic and can only hope that Cockrell is encouraging his clients to share their wealth with the less fortunate as I think that would help everyone.
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