SINGAPORE: A man in his late 30s took to social media on Thursday (Sep 26) to share how empty he felt when he reached the top without anyone by his side.
Posting on r/singaporefi, a Reddit forum, he revealed that while he had successfully amassed over S$3 million through years of relentless work and dedication, it came at a steep personal cost: his relationships.
For several years, he had made his career and financial growth his main priority, constantly telling himself that he was working towards a “brighter future for himself and his future family”. However, in his relentless pursuit of wealth, he gradually lost touch with the people who mattered most—his loved ones and friends.
“I feel like I’ve lost in life. I’ve been losing old friends as I’m just edgy most of the time, partially stress from work, partially stress from feeling stuck in life,” he confessed. “I’ve lost partners that I thought I could build a family with, I have nowhere I can call home, I do not have the family I grew up with. I’m alone and lonely.”
Though he continued to seek joy in small things, the overwhelming sense of failure and isolation often clouded those moments. Feeling exhausted, he even began to lower his financial independence goals, uncertain he could maintain his current lifestyle.
“At this point, I’m just craving for someone to come home to, someone to share my life with, but once you hit this low, everything feels unimportant,” he lamented. “I’ve no one to turn to, I don’t feel understood, I don’t feel cared for. And if I had somewhere to run to where I can feel relief and good about myself, I would go, but I don’t even feel that anymore.”
He then posed a thought-provoking question to the community, asking, “What’s the point of money if it means being poor in all other aspects of life?”
“You have S$3m+. You can slow down on accumulating wealth.”
In the discussion thread that followed, numerous users weighed in with empathy and support, suggesting he consider slowing down at work and redirecting his focus toward nurturing personal relationships and engaging in self-care.
One user said, “Look forward not backwards. You have $3m+. You can slow down on accumulating wealth and focus on everything you just listed. Go meet people. Go date for purpose. Go travel and learn. Having money gives you options to do that.”
Another stated, “Be present and give yourself enough credits for what you have achieved – financially, and also what you already have – being healthy. Think of how your future self will be proud of how far you have already come and how you have managed to overcome this low point.”
A few users also highlighted the importance of mental health, encouraging him to think about seeing a therapist.
One user suggested, “Why don’t you consider a therapist? Not that there’s anything wrong with you but they could help you see things differently or put together an action plan that can help you get out of this rut.”
However, amid the supportive comments, a few users cheekily pointed out that the man’s situation isn’t as bad as he thinks it is, especially since their own situations are a lot tougher.
One user shared, “Mid 30s. In debt. Jobless. No partner. Lols. I think you are in a way better position than I am.”
Another said, “At least you have 3 million, me is worse than you I left a few hundred in my bank as I spend most of my income on my only child education. And now I am unemployed for the past 6 months with no job.”
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)