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Are Children of Wealthy Parents Good for Nothing?

You know the stereotypes: spoiled brats or without ambition. We’ve heard it often enough and I don’t have statistics to prove either way. Whether or not they run into difficulties more than other people, affluent kids do face certain issues because of the family’s wealth:

• They have more money and often also more time to get into trouble (not having to work to fund their education). We all know teenagers have a design flaw: they have a seemingly irresistible urge to sow wild oats, to experiment. The more hangout time they have, the more exposure they get to dubious ideas (theirs or their friends’).  And the more money they have to party with, the fewer external limits on drugs and alcohol.

• Many feel entitled to whatever they want; they pretty much always did get it, so why wouldn’t that continue. That can create a number of serious problems: they haven’t learned how to push themselves which makes them lazy; they aren’t very resilient in the face of defeat because they haven’t faced adversity; they can be, well, unlikeable because of their arrogance; and they might also lack in empathy which makes them highly flawed human beings.

• On the other side of the coin, some are burdened with heavy expectations: maintaining the family tradition of excellence, and that might not suit the type of personality they were born with.

• Not only that, they may not feel like they have a choice of career; they are not allowed the right to follow their life purpose if it isn’t one of the “acceptable” paths. So their choice may be either to live with a squashed spirit or to rebel.

Of course, there are many affluent children and young adults who are delightful, well adjusted and a gift to their community, and others who are just plain average.

My point here? This whole subject is just another example of how success can bring a new set of problems if it’s not managed properly.

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