A thought-provoking social media post detailing the hidden burdens of high earnings has sparked an online discussion. A Mumbai-based founder described an acquaintance who earns two crore rupees annually but constantly appears exhausted and miserable. This stark contrast led the entrepreneur to question whether extreme wealth is worth the overwhelming pressure, arguing that huge salaries often entail immense stress that money alone cannot alleviate.
“I have a friend who earns ₹2 crore a year. Or maybe ‘acquaintance’ is a safer word, because if he reads this, I don't want him calling me and asking why I wrote about him. That roughly translates to ₹11–12 lakh in hand every month,” founder Sampark Sachdeva wrote on LinkedIn.
He claimed that every time he met the man, it felt like the man was “falling apart”. “‘I am literally in tears’. ‘I don’t know how long I can do this.’ And he isn’t saying this casually. He actually looks exhausted. Sometimes, quite literally, on the verge of tears.”
What puzzled Sachdeva was why the man was “crying” after earning such a hefty amount. However, the moment he asked, he realised that his thought was "ridiculous".
{{/usCountry}}What puzzled Sachdeva was why the man was “crying” after earning such a hefty amount. However, the moment he asked, he realised that his thought was "ridiculous".
{{/usCountry}}Sachdeva said, “Because maybe that ₹2 crore is precisely why he is crying. Maybe you don't get to ₹2 crore without carrying a level of responsibility, expectations, targets, people, decisions and pressure that someone earning ₹20 lakh simply doesn't experience.”
It left him wondering, “Would you rather earn ₹2 crore and be miserable? Or earn ₹30 lakh and have a lot more peace? Or is there actually a third option?” Sachdeva continued, “Is more money = more success = better life?”
“More money + more responsibility + more pressure + less time + less sleep = a very expensive way of being unhappy. And yet, saying ‘money doesn't matter’ is equally naive. Of course it matters. ₹2 crore can solve a hell of a lot of problems. It just cannot solve the problem of being miserable while earning it.”
How did social media react?
An individual wrote, “The problem isn’t greed but the envy people carry. The expectations grow faster than working on changing the circumstances.” Sachdeva replied, “That's an interesting distinction. Envy can definitely make the target keep moving, because we're constantly comparing where we are with someone else's life.”Another posted, “Completely resonate with this perspective.” Sachdeva commented, “Thank you. Glad this resonated”.
A third expressed, “Wealth without inner peace is just a heavy cage built of gold. True power is knowing how much is enough so your work serves your life, not your life serving your work.”