Why are the rich rich

Author: Li Haoran
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: How many people in the world fail to achieve anything simply because they are too easily satisfied? The first step to wealth is to never stay content with small success. Only by not being satisfied with the current situation can you continuously gain wealth. Sir Rector, a prominent figure in the British press and owner of the London Times, was not content with his initial salary of 90 pounds per week when he first joined the newspaper. Even after he owned the Daily Mail, he still aspired to merge with the Times. Through relentless effort, he eventually achieved his dream. Sir Rector always looked down on people with no great ambitions. He once told an assistant editor who had worked for only three months: "Are you satisfied with your current position? Are you content with your weekly salary of 50 pounds?" When the employee replied with a smug smile that he was satisfied, Sir Rector immediately fired him and said with disappointment: "You should understand that I do not want my subordinates to be content with a weekly salary of 50 pounds and stop developing their potential." Ordinary people fail to achieve anything because they are too easily satisfied and lack ambition. Once they attain a comfortable and secure position, they settle into complacency. As a result, their entire lives are spent working blindly, earning just enough to barely survive, waiting for the arrival of death to end their existence. They fear the pain of dissatisfaction, so they suppress their desires and weaken their will. On the other hand, the rich or those who pursue wealth are entirely different. They constantly seek areas where they are not satisfied to discover their flaws and use them as guidelines for improvement. They do not hide their shortcomings or boast about their strengths, but instead objectively and strictly criticize themselves. They avoid indulgence and retreat in the face of difficulties. Dissatisfaction is the prerequisite for progress. Only those who do not satisfy themselves can avoid stagnation and find the path to success in life.
A general manager of a certain American railway company, when young, worked as a third-class train brake operator along the railway line, earning only 12 pounds per week. An experienced worker told him, "Don’t think that just because you’re a brake operator, you’ll be proud of yourself. I’m telling you, it will take at least four or five years before you can become a train captain. Even then, you’ll have to be careful to avoid being fired. Only then can you enjoy a life earning 100 pounds per week." But he coolly replied, "Do you think I’ll be satisfied with being a train captain? I plan to become the general manager of the railway company." Some people often think to themselves, "My current life is full of joy and satisfaction. What should I do in the future to maintain this state?" These people are content with their current situation and are solely focused on preserving it. However, the mindset of "maintaining the status quo" adopts a defensive attitude, which eventually turns into a passive one. They lose the initiative and forward momentum they once had, and their steps toward success come to a halt. Such people will never become wealthy. Only by not being satisfied with oneself, striving for even better, and constantly pushing beyond one’s limits can one create a more fulfilling life. This is the theoretical foundation for why the wealthy are wealthy, and it is a point that anyone who wants to get rich must grasp. P4-5