The difference between “rich” and “well off” is so skewed in our minds today. It leads to people hitting really good life milestones and then being made to feel guilty for making it because “oh you must be RICH (/disparaging).” And it’s terrible because it isolates us even more. We don’t feel comfortable sharing cool achievments with people for fear our desire to share our joy with our friends will be met with cutting suggestions about bragging and privilige. And that can lead to sending the message that you aren’t a safe person to share good news with, further isolating you from seeing joy in others’ lives.

Here’s how I differentiate these terms, in case it helps:

- Being rich means you have such an excess of money that you can be frivolous with it. You can buy almost anything that catches your eye without worrying over how much you have left in the bank for essential needs. For example, buying a yacht outright.

- Being well off means you have a steady source of income and, through good money management and saving, are able to afford certain things that might be out of reach of someone who is not well off. For example, buying a house with a mortgage, or a new car. You may have enough extra money to buy yourself treats, but you aren’t going to be jetting to a gala anytime soon.

I’m not advocating for hating everyone who qualifies as rich, btw; some rich people are kind and generous and have good economic sense. But please, let’s stop biting at people who are blessed to be well off enough to reach milestones that we all want to (and hope to someday) reach. It’s discouraging, alienating, and unloving. Let’s allow each other and ourselves to feel the joy of sharing good news and life updates! :)