Money as an Amplifier

There is a story today about a couple who won the lottery a few years ago who have since died of drug and alcohol use.

"Any problems people have, money magnifies it so much, it's
unbelievable"

This statement intrigued me. It suggests the more money one has, the more amplified their underlying behavior becomes. Simply put, one will be the same after they have money as they were before, just amplified. A person who spends all of their extra money on gadgets and clothes on $25,000 a year will most likely continue to do the same on $250,000 a year. Albeit on bigger, better, and more expensive items. On the other hand, a person who is responsible and frugal on a $25,000 paycheck will likely continue to be responsible with their spending given a large salary increase.

In our heads we are the same person we were in elementary school, high school, and college, even though we have outwardly changed. On every birthday we hear a new number, 15, 18, 21, 24, yet in our minds we still feel like the same person. In the same way, when one has $5k, $50k, or $5M in the bank, we still have the same material desires inside. The increase in money allows us to now realize these desires to a greater extent, hence amplification.