‘Doctor, I think I'm very poor’: Why a man with a ₹40 lakh salary, BMW, and a Gurugram flat can't sleep at night

For years, the formula seemed simple. Study hard, get a good job, earn a big salary, and life should eventually feel secure.

But across corporate offices, startup circles, and LinkedIn feeds, a different conversation has been quietly taking shape. More people are hitting financial milestones they once dreamed about, yet many say the feeling of “having enough” never really arrives.

That is why a recent story shared by a doctor and entrepreneur, Dr Sunny Garg has struck a nerve online.

The story revolves around a 34-year-old professional who, by most measures, appears financially successful. But during a conversation with Garg, he made a confession that completely changed the direction of their discussion.

‘I think I'm very poor’

According to Garg, the man lives in a 2BHK apartment in Gurgaon, drives a BMW, and earns ₹40 lakh annually.

Still, he opened up with a statement that surprised the doctor.

“He sat across from me and said, ‘Doctor, I think I’m very poor. I can’t sleep at night,’” the doctor revealed.

Garg said he did not dismiss the comment because he felt it reflected something much larger than one person's experience.

“I didn’t laugh, because this isn’t just one man’s story. It’s the story of today’s Indian middle-class professional, and hardly anyone explains it,” the doctor said.

The problem wasn’t his salary

What stood out to Garg was the contrast between the man's financial reality and how he saw himself.

The doctor pointed out that the professional falls within the country's top-earning group. Yet, despite that, he still felt left behind.
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According to Garg, the reason was surprisingly simple.

“Statistically, he’s in the top 1% of earners in India. Yet he feels poor. Why?

“Because his reference point has shifted. Earlier, he compared himself to the neighbour in his village whose son worked as a clerk. Now he compares himself to a 28-year-old on LinkedIn who sold a startup and is sitting on ₹80 crore,” the doctor explained.

In other words, the target had changed.

When every achievement stops feeling enough

The doctor believes that many professionals find themselves trapped in a cycle where each achievement quickly loses its value because there is always someone earning more, building more or achieving more.

As a result, financial growth does not always bring peace of mind.

“This is modern poverty. Your income has increased, but your expectations have increased tenfold. And the gap keeps widening every year,” he explained.

Three questions that changed the discussion

Instead of talking about investments, salaries, or career plans, Garg asked the man three personal questions.

First, how many times during the last year had he told himself, “I am enough?”

The answer was “never.”

Then came the second question: Who are you earning all this money for?

The man admitted he did not really know. He said he was simply trying to keep moving because everyone around him seemed to be moving ahead.

The final question was whether there was even one thing in his life that he did not do for money.

After pausing for a moment, he answered no.

What Garg took away from the conversation

For the doctor, those answers revealed that the real issue was not financial.

He felt the man was struggling with something deeper.

“When money becomes the measure of every activity, you stop being a human being and become a machine,” he said.

A reminder that goes beyond money

Before ending the conversation, Garg shared a suggestion that he believes applies to people across income levels.

“Whether you earn ₹40 lakh or ₹4 crore – every six months, ask yourself these three questions,” he advised. “Solving money problems is relatively easy. Solving identity problems is much harder. And 90% of people end up confusing the two.”
Disclaimer: This article is based on a social media post and information shared in the public domain. The Times of India has not independently verified the claims or experiences described.Thumb image: Canva (for representative purposes only)