Wealth

Kirkmain

As one enters the twilight of one's life, I often ponder. What do we mean by wealth. How do you know you have died "rich"

Is it the money in the bank? Number of homes you own? Number of descendants you have created? Number of people who are there to care and look after you in your old age? Number of people you have at your bedside when you pass? Number of people mourning you at your funeral? Number of children and grandchildren whom I helped build self sufficient lives...?

What is it all about?

Floss

I always understood wealth to be accumulation of money & possessions.

One can have a wealth of children / grieving family / mourners but I don't think that having those makes you wealthy.

Hoenir

Wealth will be from having made the most of everyday. Life itself is a thread that we hang by every day. Waiting for it to be cut. 

sevenhills

Being wealthy is buying the best pie, cake or holiday etc. The aim is not to die rich, but to spend your money.

A successful person will already have what they want - numerous happy children or a Jaguar etc

Baron_Dale

To me true wealth is loving relationships with friends and family, quality of life and good health. You do not needs lots of wealth to have a full, satisfying and meaningful life. 
In my view it is nothing to do with money.

Albermarle

Not having to worry about money, and a feeling of security that so many people lack.
Plus of course having a nice house/food/wine/holidays !

Of course the level of wealth needed to satisfy those criteria will vary a lot for different people.

gwynlas

Wealth is generally a measure of how much money you have and what it can purchase. Howver whilst being wealthy can afford you access to health care on demand it does not save you from  malignant diseases of the body or the mind.

mark_cycling00

The etymology of the word "wealth" from the middle ages is "an abundance of happiness and prosperity"

Welth and helth were two sides of a coin

The term seems to have been corrupted to mean simply valuable possessions. 

To aim to be wealthy originally meant to be able to provide for family, have a well maintained family home to pass on, maybe a business to leave to children. And to end life happy rather than miserable 

barnstar2077

For me, the ultimate goal is for my time to be my own.

Once you have enough funds to choose whether you work or not, then you can live your life with the dignity we all deserve (but don't often get while we are working.)

Grumpy_chap

Kirkmain said:

As one enters the twilight of one's life, I often ponder. What do we mean by wealth. How do you know you have died "rich"

Is it the money in the bank? Number of homes you own? Number of descendants you have created? Number of people who are there to care and look after you in your old age? Number of people you have at your bedside when you pass? Number of people mourning you at your funeral? Number of children and grandchildren whom I helped build self sufficient lives...?

What is it all about?

The knowledge that you lived the best life you could live.  The happy memories you take to whatever the afterlife turns out to be.

You know you died 'rich' if you lived life to the full in every way, left nothing in the bank, and the people at your funeral truly there for no reason other than they care.

Hal17

I have just started to read Die with Zero by Bill Perkins. Had it ordered on-line with my local library, I was number 48 in the queue, so a popular read. He raises some good points, an interesting read.