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This is something that I find to be prevalent where I live in Europe. You're not supposed to overachieve, everyone wants to be right in the middle of the pack, so if you do excel, you tend to get ostracized.

I find it ridiculous. People should be proud of their accomplishments.

Yes this really gets to me. Especially because I work in the financial industry and everyone thinks you must just be evil if you work for a big bad investment bank. First of all, not all of us a rolling around in dough. And even the ones that are, the LARGE majority are ethical people who are successful because they are hard working and intelligent. We're not all a bunch of Bernie Madoffs who are out to steal from people.

And to your point re: Doctors, our country has become so litigious that doctors have to pay out the nose in malpractice insurance and many of them don't take home nearly as much money as doctors used to. And it's the high end specialists like plastic surgeons who are loaded. Your GP or doc who saves your life in an ER while well off is probably not super rich.

I'm not really concerned about this at all. From where I stand, this country is still as greedy as ever (and please don't misunderstand me as I am not saying being successful = being greedy). I only need to look at my Facebook feed to see the rantings of "friends" about government assistance and those who receive it.

I consider myself very lucky. My husband has a good job and can support our family without the need for 2 incomes. He got his MBA and paid for it himself (something that few of his classmates can claim) and although we struggle sometimes, that's more to do with the cost of living in New York rather than the lack of income.

All that said, even though we haven't/do not receive financial support from our parents, it would be naive to not think that we are privileged - to be born into good (compared to many) circumstances and relatively stable families). It bothers me when some people act as though they are all self-made when really, there are many, many factors that go into making a successful person.

As an aside: moving to New York from the Midwest was a HUGE eye-opener for me. I stupidly believed that a lot of the "successful" people were making it on their own. It didn't take long to realize that almost every single person I knew who was "making it" did so with generous support from their parents. I'm not saying I wouldn't do the same if given the opportunity, but to present that as self-made success is just disingenuous.

**Please note - I am not saying that anyone on this board falls into this category!

This really gets to me because my father worked really hard, took lots of risks, was gone from his family often, went times without a paycheck, but has also been rewarded for his position. I feel like there are lots of people who choose to not work the extra mile, or take the extra risks, and therefor should not expect to see the paycheck that executives receive.

@highwire: I agree it is hard to see and there is a difference between those that have help and those that don't but I still think that USUALLY people that make the big bucks are either taking extra risks, working a bit harder, or are doing a harder job (aka are smarter).

@Thehistoryofus: I'd have to respectfully disagree. In my opinion there are lots of people who take lots of risks, work their asses off, and are very smart but barely make enough to support their families. I don't feel that the people at the very tip top of the economic brackets got there simply by working hard.

Either way, there is probably a mixture of both types (those who work hard and make the money they deserve, and those who work hard and don't). I think your father is a wonderful example of someone who was rewarded for his efforts and I'm glad he was able to be successful.

@meredithNYC: I don't really understand why it's a bad thing for people to have help/support from their families? I'm sure many of the people on this board are working very hard so that they can help their own children meet their goals in life. Does that mean that their children's successes are less valid? My parents paid for a wonderful education for me and I will be forever grateful for that. And they continue to support me (however they have not provided, and I haven't needed or wanted, any financial support from them since the day I graduated college). I don't think the fact that my parents provided me opportunity cheapens my own success. And I think it's amazing that my father was able to provide so well for his family given that he is the son or two immigrants who came to this country with nothing and then my grandfather passed away when my dad was 12 so my grandmother raised my father and aunt as a single mother with very little money so my dad truly is 100% self made.

@Thehistoryofus: I don't want to offend anyone who works in banking or finance. As I said, my own husband does and I certainly know him to be intelligent. That said, I have met and interacted with several of his fellow MBA-grads from NYU and many, many of these people are making a lot of money right now. With some exceptions, I will say that the vast majority are A) not necessarily smarter than a lot of my friends, who tend to work in professions that pay far less and B) already come from money. After all, getting a graduate degree costs a lot of money and it's not something that everyone is able to take a gamble on.

Although most of his classmates are nice people, I often come away from gatherings with them thinking how very removed the majority of them are from how real people live. It's discouraging and makes me sad.

@highwire: I agree the economy is tough right now and there aren't a ton of big jobs. I just feel that there are many people that expect to work a 9-5 job, put in the bare minimum effort and then look around and say, "I've been here for 5-10-20 years why aren't I getting all kinds of promotions and pay raises". You have the take control of your life and future and make the change you want to have happen.

@mrbee: Those aren't the wealthy people I'm talking about. I'm talking more about the people who were born into money or come from wealthy backgrounds, and then expect everyone else to just "pick up and work hard." They didn't work hard for their money.

In my experience, yes, entreprenuers work their a$$es off, but they aren't necessarily people I would consider "wealthy," either.

@eiko2010: It sounds like maybe you are just seeing a percentage of entrepreneurs, because I know many that are very successful and wealthy.

@Thehistoryofus: Like I said, it's in my experience. And like I said, I have no problem with people who did work hard and are successful. They had a dream, they fought for it, and they made it happen, and that's awesome! I know of one couple who started their own business and it is very successful and they do pretty well for themselves, financially. I worked for them for a short period and they were extremely generous employers. They never took their success for granted and always made sure to appreciate the people who helped make them successful. BUT they also started out from middle-class, had good credit to get business loans, etc. So while they worked hard, even they had a "leg up," so to speak.

As I said, I have a problem with people who HAVEN'T worked as hard for their money, but look down on and just expect others in less-fortunate situations to be able to just work hard and pull themselves out it. It's not that easy. There are far more factors than just "working hard" to become successful.

@mrbee: I feel that people concerned with income inequality are painted as being anti-success though as a political move. Not by you in this post but when I've heard politicians speak about it. I personally haven't seen or heard anyone being anti-success, besides for people claiming it on tv or an article, so I have a hard time understanding it as a real issue.

@mrbee: I don't know... I still think it's less anti-success and more anti the attitudes that a lot of successful people seem to take towards those less fortunate?

Also, I personally feel that to even be in a position to worry about this makes you very lucky compared to the vast majority of Americans, so there's that! And I hope that doesn't come across as condescending because I certainly don't mean it to.

@mrbee: I think since "Occupy" there has been some backlash against the "rich"... but as a friend to the founders of Netscape and other silicon Valley startups, I'd say that there is much more pride and adoration at these folks' success than anything.

I do see a distinction between people who found businesses, create products and ideas and those who push around CDS's and bet against the American people as a way to create success (pillage companies and then outsource the jobs etc.) I think most Americans can easily see these same distinctions. Creating and building something== good for the country. Tearing down businesses, betting against Americans with Credit default swaps == bad for the country.