Last week, a friend asked me if I'd rather:
Make $50k/year and while everyone around me makes $25k/year or make $100k/year and while everyone around me makes $200k/year?

What do you think? To me, there's no correct answer. It's complicated because as humans, we gauge our wellbeing relative to those around us.

Like we've discussed before, feeling wealthy has little to do with what you have. It seems like it's more about the gap between what you have and what you expect-- and what you expect is driven by what the people around you have.

Think about it this way...
If you currently earn $50k or more annually, you're in the top 1% of all incomes globally. That statistic floored me. If you're living in the United States and earning $50k/year, you probably don't feel like a 1%-er. Not even close.

Another interesting thought...
Over the last 40 or 50 years, the average American's income has remained largely stagnant. You currently aren't earning more or less than you would have in the 60s and 70s. So, why do so many people feel like they don't have enough?

Here's what I think...
We're constantly comparing ourselves to those around us. We do it subconsciously to know if we're normal or have enough. Those subconscious comparisons, however, can go in two directions: up or down.

By default, our social comparisons tend to skew upwards, looking to those who have more than us. For the stagnant middle-class American, staying in place feels like falling behind. Especially, when other people are getting further and further ahead.

Some *bittersweet* news
No matter how much you're making, you'll never really feel rich. But that doesn't mean you'll never feel happy or content. I think the key is to maintain a healthy gap between what you have and what you expect.

I know what you're thinking
Cool. Maintain a healthy gap. Okay, how do I do that. Luckily, there are some useful strategies we can use to feel good about what we already have.

We should learn from people who are smarter than us
Keith Payne is the author of "The Broken Ladder: How Inequality Affects the Way We Live, Think, and Die." He believes we can strategize and make those comparisons work in our favor. 

Payne suggests using a healthy dose of upward social comparisons to motivate and energize you to get shit done. On the other hand, downward social comparisons can be used to destress and practice a lil gratitude. Hmmm... Not bad, right? 

I'm curious to know your thoughts on all of this. Let me know by replying here.