The poor rich, the rich poor ...

There are probably many paradigms in which to measure monetary wealth. A person who feels he has enough for himself, and for another one or two needy people/ families is richer by far than another who feels that he has barely enough for his car mortgages, children's education.

The former who may have much less money, but has 'surplus', but the latter may have a far fatter bank balance, but he is 'needy' - and maybe it is something that modern economics has missed out.

Once, many years ago, when i was trying to get some money for my village children from some old college friends, I largely hit dead ends. there was much sympathy and some profound philosophy , but the responses were 'my mortgage ...', 'my liabilities ...',  ...and I gave up. I decided that i could pass a collection tin around my village and collect some money to assist my old friends more easily that the other way around.