The rich remain largest victims of emotional blackmail. They experience it from relatives, close friends and colleagues. The poor see the rich as explorers and exploiters who take advantage of every situation.
If there’s a register for the rich to narrate their experiences in the hands of the poor, it would be a compendium of misery and untold tales.
Some poor individuals believe that they have exclusive or divine rights to be rude, insolent and unwelcoming. They see the rich as persons responsible for their misfortune and frown at every lifestyle they live either legal or illegal.
There are rich people who oppress and create wealth from the sweats of the poor.
These people enrich themselves from the tears and agonies of the poor.
From the rich who use wealth to lobby the poor through promises of scholarship and better living to those who promise grants for businesses. They trick the poor to harvest their organs or subject them to slavery or child trafficking.
However, we still have rich people who commit their resources to societal growth and assist the poor. They set up industries, employ the service of the poor and pay them handsomely. They contribute funds towards projects for public good and sometimes render financial support to the poor.
According to the Washington-based bank, the number of poor Nigerians is projected to hit 95.1 million in 2022. The largest section of the poor live in rural areas and this reporter shares in the pains, inadequacies and trauma of the disadvantaged and less opportuned people who form this class.
This class struggle to make ends meet. This class hustle all day and end up with gains that does not commensurate with amount of hardwork. “Gains” only favour the rich. They work their ass out too.
In this reporter’s personal assessment of life and its battle against inequity, this reporter observed that there is a behavioral pattern dominating the space of the lower class especially those who are privileged to work or move closer to them.
The poor usually develop a nauseating sense of entitlement and expect that all our financial problems be resolved by them.
The poor feel entitled to the treasury of the rich, troubled when they expect much and they receive little. The poor see the rich as ‘demons’ and allow this spirit of entitlement erases all good memories we’ve shared together.
The rich are humans too. They have families to cater for. They have wealth to sustain and progresses to make in their businesses to remain relevant. They also want to maintain the ladder at all cost and sometimes it takes more than personal sacrifices.
Lastly, every human being is in need of help. If a poor man approaches a rich man for help, hundreds equally knock their doors to make crazier requests too. Let the poor be advised that if the rich open the door and nothing is given, the poor should be calm.
If the poor knock and the rich share his or her exploits with the poor, he or she should be thankful and show appreciation.
The poor should eliminate the spirit of entitlement and be humble enough to know that the rich has given out of his or her sweat and many hustles.
Be thankful and appreciate the little. You can be everything in life but strive hard not to be a bitter and proud poor person.