The Woke Salaryman did a comic book strip to clarify why some rich people will never be happy.
I can establish with this text as a result of they body properly a “disturbance within the pressure” that I can not clarify very effectively.
The Woke Salaryman feels that wealthier folks can by no means be pleased as a result of there may be at all times some increased attainment that their friends have reached.
They concern they could by no means get there, affecting their general outlook.
The query is: The place is that this ‘there’?
How will we outline there?
The Woke Salaryman identifies two sorts of deprivation: Absolute and Relative Deprivation.
The Distinction Between Absolute and Relative Deprivation.

Within the grand scheme of issues, absolute deprivation has universally authorized markers if we take a step again. We’d like the bottom layer of Maslow’s hierarchy of wants.
This implies we aren’t disadvantaged of the next:
- Respiration, meals, water, intercourse, sleep, homeostasis, excretion
- Safety of physique, of employment, of sources, of morality, of the household and for well being
If we survey a gaggle of people with totally different backgrounds and monetary means about whether or not it’s good to be disadvantaged of such issues, a really massive chunk of the folks will disagree that we needs to be disadvantaged of such issues within the trendy age.
Absolute deprivation needs to be a transparent avoidance, below essentially the most smart metrics.

One other form of deprivation borns out of evaluating to a different particular person, group of individuals, in numerous areas, in numerous revenue teams.
They’ve a sure life-style, which you don’t have at the moment, and a few have so wealthy of a life-style that you simply concern you gained’t have.
That is relative deprivation.
In Telegram chats, and in actual life, I hear the fixed debate and recommendation to not examine to others, to apply having extra gratitude about what you have already got in your life.
Monetary Safety Versus Monetary Independence
If we reference my Stages of Wealth chart:

There’s a distinction between increase our monetary sources in order that we are able to safe a conservative money circulate to offer for our annual primary survival bills and present bills.
The previous is to forestall absolute deprivation, if we cease work, or can not work and the latter isn’t just that diploma of deprivation but additionally offering for our life-style.
In my view, primary monetary safety, even at phases 5 and 6 could shore up absolute deprivation and people phases are interesting sufficient to realize.
The Pervasive Mindset: Any type of Deprivation is Dangerous
Right here is the darkish secret, when you expertise or know of the existence of a sure life-style, you’ll assume deprivation just isn’t good.
So in our monetary independence planning, we HAVE to safe that in a conservative method with our passive revenue.
The issue is with fairly a good bit of life-style, is deprivation of that life-style wholesome or unhealthy is so debatable.
Is provision to your youngster’s tuition from secondary to junior school important?
Ought to we be deprive of a five-room HDB flat straight out of college?
Doesn’t with the ability to afford a 20-table wedding ceremony banquet for many an indication of absolute deprivation?
Some would say the road between relative and absolute deprivation is weak however in my view, it needs to be extra clear reduce:
We must always all be capable of agree upon what life-style human beings shouldn’t be disadvantaged of.
There needs to be grades to life-style and there needs to be a necessary quantity for meals, and a premium good-to-have quantity.

In 2019, Lee Kuan Yew Faculty of Public Coverage released their research on the household budgets necessary for older folks to fulfill their dwelling wants. It comes as much as $1.3k to 2.3k, relying on whether or not you’re single or a pair.
We aren’t saying whether or not that’s correct, however we must always be capable of agree upon what we shouldn’t be disadvantaged of with much less ambiguity.
Having a Wealth Machine that Prevents One Deprivation is Higher Than Depriving of All the things
In monetary independence planning, we must always take a look at assuaging totally different ranges of deprivation, create totally different milestones, and speak about attaining the primary stage after which following by the subsequent:
- A wealth machine that gives money circulate to forestall some deprivation.
- A wealth machine that gives money circulate to forestall most deprivation.
- A wealth machine that gives money circulate to forestall all deprivation.
This framing is a method of practising gratitude.
Associated: Why Wealth Machines are Important to Building Wealth Wisely
Realizing that your wealth alleviates some deprivation extraordinarily effectively is best than proudly owning a whole lot of wealth however not feeling safe as a result of your wealth doesn’t safe ALL of your life.
There’s an excessive amount of concern in regards to the failure to safe money circulate for all bills as a result of any deprivation is an absolute failure of the plan.
I believe in case you are smart and also you replicate upon this, you’ll agree with me.
However you will have to reframe how you consider the totally different levels of deprivation and contentment.
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