I think there’s an “ideal” net worth for everyone, when money not only stops bringing pleasure but becomes a social liability. And that number is probably lower than most people think.

我认为每个人都有一个“理想”的净资产金额，当达到这个金额时，钱不仅不再带来快乐，反而可能成为一种社交负担。而这个金额可能比大多数人想象的要低。

Business Insider recently did a story of lottery winners who lost it all (people love the schadenfreude of these tales).

《商业内幕》最近报道了一些中彩票后又失去所有财产的赢家（人们总是爱看这种幸灾乐祸的故事）。

A common denominator of the stories is that lottery winnings have a high degree of, let’s call it, social debt – friends, family, and strangers who feel entitled to ask, beg, and steal in a way that leaves the winners not only broke, but socially exploited.

这些故事的共同特征是：彩票中奖常常会带来很高程度的“社会债务”——朋友、家人以及陌生人觉得有权利去索要、乞求、甚至偷窃。这种情况不仅让中奖者最终破产，还让他们在人际关系上受到剥削。

One of the winners explained:

其中一位获奖者解释道：

After winning $3.9 million in October 1985 and $1.4 million four months later, Ms. Adams found that she no longer had the privilege of privacy. “I was known,” she said, “and I couldn’t go anywhere without being recognized.”

在 1985 年 10 月赢得 390 万美元，并在四个月后又赢得 140 万美元后，亚当斯女士发现她再也无法享有隐私的特权了。她说：“我出名了，无论走到哪里都会被认出来。”

A subtle problem with money is that assets are easy to measure but liabilities can be hidden. Measuring lottery winnings is simple: $3.9 million, down to the penny. But how do you measure losing your privacy? Or the nagging doubt that some friends only like you for your money? That’s way harder.

一个不易察觉的金钱问题是：资产容易量化，但负债往往隐藏不见。比如，彩票中奖很容易统计：390 万美元，精确到每一分钱。但如何衡量失去隐私的代价？或者如何估计朋友仅因金钱而靠近的疑虑？这些问题就难得多了。