There are four situations in which people find themselves, all of which are wrong and uncomfortable.

First, when a person steps into a social circle that doesn’t belong to them. The people around, whether in terms of personal ability or family background, are far superior. This creates a great sense of divide and inferiority, and in every detail, one often feels both mentally and physically uncomfortable. The only benefit is that it might push you to improve, but true progress is not achieved this way.

Second, when a person steps into a social circle that doesn’t belong to them, but this time, everyone around is much worse off. There’s a feeling of a crane among chickens. This leads to a loss of motivation to do things or even to live. You start to look down on those around you and the things they do. As a result, you don’t get along well with people in this group, and it’s hard to move things forward. You end up feeling even more frustrated in this environment that you already think is low-end and beneath you, and this frustration cycles endlessly, ultimately leading to complete defeat and ruining your whole life.

Third, when a person acquires a level of wealth that far exceeds their abilities. Your ability, knowledge, and consumption habits haven’t reached the level of wealth you’ve somehow obtained, making you feel like a monster. Some people, in this situation, are able to restrain their spending—like me. Because I know where I came from; I came from the gutter. I know my own limits. I know my fate is a humble one. Over the long years and in the entire economic market, I am only temporarily holding onto this wealth for society. Eventually, it will leave me in various ways, because I do not possess the ability for this level. But some people lose it all in no time and end up with a ruined life, unable to do anything.

Fourth, when a person’s wealth doesn’t match their abilities—they are very capable, but extremely poor. This situation is more complex and depends on age. If you are young, then don’t look down on yourself for being poor; keep working hard and firmly believe you will become rich. Don’t belittle yourself or lose confidence. If you are older, it’s more discouraging and feels more like failure—having lived so many years and still having nothing to show for it, dragging your family and children down with you, but lacking the energy to change anything. So, you can only limit your ambitions and spending. This is a negative cycle that makes you feel even worse, more and more desperate, especially during economic downturns. It’s extremely tough.

I’ve experienced all of the above situations and switched between these patterns. All in all, it’s pretty meaningless.

There’s another situation: having been rich before, but then going bankrupt. I haven’t experienced this yet. If you read this and your first thought is, “You’ll go bankrupt sooner or later,” it means you currently have a poverty mindset and don’t yet possess the qualities or ability to get rich or handle wealth. With continued effort, this can be changed.