Bridging the Wealth Divide: From Struggle to Understanding
The Personal Shift: From Resentment to Empathy
There was a time when I had very little sympathy for the unhoused.
I was barely scraping by myself, working long hours, and pushing through exhaustion just to keep my bills paid.
In my mind, I was doing everything right, yet financial security still felt fragile.
Seeing people on the streets asking for help felt like an insult to my struggle—if I was working this hard, why weren’t they?
But when my financial situation improved, something changed.
Instead of distancing myself from those struggling, I began questioning why my instinct was to create separation in the first place.
I realized that I hadn’t wanted to believe how close I actually was to being in their position.
I realized that the difference wasn’t effort. It wasn’t even resilience.
It was opportunity and access to a safety net.
I had people who could help me if things got bad.
I had an employer who paid a livable wage.
I had small breaks along the way that made survival possible.
The unhoused? Many of them never had those breaks.
Once I was stable enough to see the bigger picture, I didn’t want to keep distancing myself from them—I wanted to bridge the gap.
How Extreme is the Wealth Divide?
To put billionaire wealth into perspective, let’s consider an absurd—but very real—comparison:
If you saved $1,000 every single day since the time of Jesus (~2,000 years ago), you would have $730 million today.
That’s still nowhere near a billion dollars.
Meanwhile, there are individuals who have over $200 billion in personal wealth.
Even if you lived multiple lifetimes, you couldn’t reach the wealth of today’s billionaires through honest saving.
Their level of wealth isn’t just extreme—it’s beyond what most of us can truly comprehend.
The Humanist Perspective on Wealth and Responsibility
This isn’t just about numbers—it’s about morality.
Humanism teaches that our worth isn’t defined by how much we accumulate, but by how much we contribute to the well-being of others.
When one person has more money than they could ever spend in a thousand lifetimes while others sleep on the streets, it’s clear we have a system problem.
Quote from Kurt Vonnegut:
"For some reason, the most vocal Christians among us never mention the Beatitudes.
But, often with tears in their eyes, they demand that the Ten Commandments be posted in public buildings.
‘Blessed are the merciful’ is a better thing to have on your wall than ‘Thou shalt not kill.’"
Quote from Noam Chomsky:
"There’s massive propaganda to convince people that only the rich can be free.
But the truth is, when wealth is hoarded at the top, everyone else’s freedom is diminished."
Rethinking Wealth, Responsibility, and Change
Religious communities understand the importance of giving—many churches teach tithing, where members donate 10% of their income.
Working-class families tip their servers, donate to local causes, and support their communities despite having little to spare.
But what about the ultra-wealthy? Many exploit tax loopholes to avoid even paying their fair share, let alone giving back meaningfully.
If billionaires contributed just 10% of their wealth to public good, we could eliminate homelessness, fund universal healthcare, and address extreme poverty.
The resources exist—we just allow them to be hoarded instead of used.
The Call to Action: Bridging the Divide
For too long, we’ve been convinced that extreme wealth is a sign of success instead of a sign of imbalance.
It’s time to question that narrative.
We don’t need to dismantle wealth—we need to redefine its purpose.
The goal isn’t to punish those who succeed; it’s to ensure that success isn’t built on the suffering of others.
It’s about bridging the gap, not widening it.
The day I realized how close I had been to struggling myself, I stopped seeing the unhoused as "other" and started seeing them as neighbors.
Maybe today is that day for you.
Stay Curious. Stay Human. And Always, Be Kind.
Let’s talk—join the conversation—follow me on Socials or check out more posts.
