Do you really want to win the $1.3 billion Powerball lottery? You know it will ruin your life. You'll find out exactly how many true friends you actually have: zero. Say you decide to go to happy hour, your usual spot where they charge $4 for a Bud Light and $5 for spinach artichoke dip until 6pm. You always get there by 5pm so you can take advantage of the deals. But now you've got a couple hundred million dollars in your pocket and your friends will expect you to pick up the tab. Sure, you can afford it, but for a $15 tab, so can they. If you don't buy, it'll eat away at them that you're stingy. If you do buy every time, it'll eat away at you that they are only using you for the money. Then they are going to suggest going to Spago or Capitol Grill instead of Lazy Dog or Claimjumper. And when you show up in your new Tesla, your friends will start to complain that their car is a piece of shit, that it needs new tires that are too expensive, how they wish they could afford a new car. But all they are thinking is "Man, why don't you suggest buying me a new Lexus? It's only $40 grand.' You'll each begin to resent the other. Money changes people. It changes the ones who suddenly have it, and their 'friends' who expect a free ride.
Would we all like a little extra money in our wallets? Sure. I'd love to able able to stop saying 'Thanks, but I can't afford that', 'Sorry that restaurant is too expensive for me', 'That concert is way too much', 'Can we play the cheaper public course instead?' Winning the lottery won't allow me to do that--not with my same friends and my same life. So here's what I'm going to do. I'll read the articles about the huge jackpot, I'll watch the news hyping it all up, and I'll drive right on by the liquor store with all those long lines. Then I'll meet my friend at Claimjumper where I will order the $4 beer and $2 pretzels. Cheers!
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