“Capital as such is not evil; it is its wrong use that is evil. Capital in some form or other will always be needed.”
Gandhi
Disdain for people with wealth seems to be one of the last acceptable prejudices. I recently had Esther Choy on my podcast who discussed her research on first generation wealth creators and it really dispelled a lot of misconceptions.
I think we might have an idea that “rich people” are yachting around the world, drinking champagne and living like a Kardashian. In reality, most people with wealth are indistinguishable from the person sitting next to you on the subway. We also need to break down what we mean when we say, “rich people.” Does that mean $1M in assets? $5M? $100M?
The truth is that there are many people who are worth more than a million, particularly in cities like New York and San Francisco. And yet, these are people who don’t consider themselves wealthy, have not inherited wealth and have middle-class values.
As fundraisers, when we paint “rich people” with too broad a brush, we miss an opportunity to truly understand a person and learn what makes them tick. We also bring our prejudices, anxieties and fears about “rich people” into the room, which stands in the way of connection.
In fact, stereotyping “rich people” under one heading makes about as much sense as stereotyping blonde people or short people. They are people. They may have more money than you, but they have hopes, dreams, desires, insecurities, flaws and fears like everyone else.
Don’t be scared of other humans. We’re all just trying to figure it out.
