Perhaps its unsurprising but I don't entirely agree. The only time money or lack thereof causes distress is when it prevents you from supporting yourself or someone you care for, keeping up with the Jones' is a bit fickle by comparison to that.

In my experience and that of a couple of friends of mine it builds character, makes you resourceful, adaptable and rarely if ever ungrateful for what you do have.

Perhaps it is just my gypsy lineage that gives me another way of looking at things or perhaps how my mum raised me, but at some point in my late teens I simply stopped caring what people thought about me and decided to just do my own thing, I don't even think it was a conscious decision...

Perhaps its unsurprising but I don't entirely agree. The only time money or lack thereof causes distress is when it prevents you from supporting yourself or someone you care for, keeping up with the Jones' is a bit fickle by comparison to that.

In my experience and that of a couple of friends of mine it builds character, makes you resourceful, adaptable and rarely if ever ungrateful for what you do have.

Perhaps it is just my gypsy lineage that gives me another way of looking at things or perhaps how my mum raised me, but at some point in my late teens I simply stopped caring what people thought about me and decided to just do my own thing, I don't even think it was a conscious decision, if people snubbed me for it then so be it. It's their loss as I am a loyal friend. which can be a rare thing these days. and I don't really wish to be around someone who has that level of prejudice, family or not.