re: do you feel better than others because you have a lot of $

Money doesnt "make you happy", but it sure as hell takes the stress out of some things, and having the option to spend more isnt too shabby.

Ultimately, I dont care if someone makes more money than me (I work in the oilfield and consistently have high school grads making a lot more than me as an engineer). But I do have a strange "competitive" desire to be as successful as anyone. Hate hearing people my age doing better than me. Not always financially. Just career wise. I know its petty, but ive always been that way. If a guy I started with is now a manager, it drives me to want to be a manager, even if he is in a different line known to make less money.