"What people want" is a common definition. Are there qualifiers to that we could flesh out? For example should we exclude things that people want simply because they believe others will want them more later (speculation)?
Ask HN: What is Wealth?
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Re: Ask HN: What is Wealth?
#2Related to your question: http://www.paulgraham.com/wealth.html
Re: Ask HN: What is Wealth?
#3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth
"Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions or the control of such assets."
Re: Ask HN: What is Wealth?
#4My take:
http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2008/02/what-is-wealth.ph...
"Wealth is a measure of your ability to do what you would like to do, when you would like to do it - a measure of your breadth of immediately available choice."
Re: Ask HN: What is Wealth?
#5Happiness and health for you and those that matter to you.
If you don't believe that talk to a billionaire that just lost a loved one to some disease.
Re: Ask HN: What is Wealth?
#6Wealth = how long you could sustain your current lifestyle (same expenses) if your income stopped, today.
EDIT: what I like about this definition is that it is not subjective and doesn't imply any need for comparison. As well, it conveys the idea that time and mobility are the new currencies, which I believe.
(the definition I use; read it in a french book by Olivier Seban)
Re: Ask HN: What is Wealth?
#7I think you will never have a good definition, because if the answer is "what people want?" everybody want something different.
For my personal example, I do not have a lot (but a lot is here subjective) of money, enough to buy what I want (but I am frugal) and this enough for me to not think about money and have freedom of mind to think about my family, my friends and my startup. No million dollars bank account, but wealthy of experience, family with kids and friends (oh, and a lot of books, I love them).
Re: Ask HN: What is Wealth?
#8Wealth is waking up this morning to a beautiful woman bringing me a cup of tea made "just so".
Philosophical sure, but wealth is definitely dependant on personal perspective.
Re: Ask HN: What is Wealth?
#9Not having any logical reason to worry about money. Meaning that you have enough money so that should you care to set things up the right way, you'll likely have enough income to live where ever you want for the rest of your life. Happiness and health are another matter, but without money, it's difficult to have either of those things.
Re: Ask HN: What is Wealth?
#10Wealth is both having enough to do (mostly) what you want in life and enough to help children and grandchildren if the need occasional help.