MONEY DOESN’T BUY
1% not spared woes
Well, that’s rich.
While it’s true that the uberwealthy don’t share the same mundane problems as their lower-class counterparts, it turns out their “rich people problems” include the same spectrum of negative emotions as the rest of us — not that New Yorkers have any sympathy for them.
The upper class commonly struggles with a cache of problems set off by their extreme wealth, including loneliness, paranoia and a distorted sense of purpose, which can provoke them to instigate issues in their lives and even infect their impressional children.
“People who aren’t rich themselves imagine that rich people don’t have problems because they think to themselves, ‘If I had all that money, I wouldn’t have a care in the world,’ ” Dr. Carole Lieberman, a Beverly Hills psychiatrist, told The Post.
“Money doesn’t buy happiness per se, but if you have a lot of money at your disposal, you can throw it at some problems and make them go away. However, you can’t buy off all your problems, no matter how much money you have,” Lieberman added.
Insecure and lonely
CNBC first explored the idea that life in the top 1% isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, with therapists telling the outlet that rich people’s relationships become “defined for what they can provide to others.”
Affluent people become isolated from the rest of the world, instead becoming relegated to the tiny upper-crust community that understands what comes with being a wealth-hoarder — but competition inside the tiny group erupts easily.
“While middle-class people are embroiled in keeping up with the Joneses, rich people are embroiled in keeping up with the Kardashians,” Lieberman told The Post.
According to the Beverly Hills psychologist — who knows all “about rich people” — those on the insecure side constantly collect status symbols, like Rolex watches and Rolls Royce cars, in an attempt to solidify their place in the upper crust.
Such competition, however, only further drives division between the tiny group, leaving relationships with an air of superficiality that is even more isolating.
Impulse for ‘mischief’
Mischief can range from anything from gossip to extramarital affairs — or even something as nefarious as white-collar crime, the psychologist said.
The shine of a wealthy person’s extravagant life dulls quickly, and those who don’t have to work to maintain their affluence often find themselves twiddling their thumbs.
“They seek out excitement in other ways,” she said.
The children of the 1% often have their own set of problems.
“Kids are brought up by nannies and lack the continuous adoration of their parents, which is why many of them feel empty and become drug or alcohol abusers to fill up the emptiness inside,” Lieberman said.
Fortunately, the life-altering issue can be remedied if the rich parents seek out healthy hobbies and make attempts to be with their own offspring, she added.
Some New Yorkers told The Post they cared little for the woes of the wealthy.
Rodney, a retired wallpaper hanger from the Upper East Side, pointedly said: “This is bulls--t.”
“Rich people have their own set of problems but they’re rich so what the f--k is the problem?”
Rodney also had little sympathy for rich kids, saying Lieberman’s assessment of their tendency to act out “sounds like excuses.”
An Upper East Side doorman — presumably used to the wealthy’s attitudes — simply rolled his eyes when asked his thoughts.