I would completely agree with you. I believe that my generation have completely forgotten how to be content, whereas it is my personal opinion that if you do have that ability, life is better, and you can achieve far more.
I'm currently 28, I bought my 2008 Grande outright back in 2014, I'm on PAYG, and have always paid about a tenner a month for my phone usage, and have always been sensible with my money which allowed me to save up a hefty deposit, which in turn, enabled me to get a mortgage. I have a 1 bedroom flat, and I'm extremely happy with it. I know that a lot of people my age would be appalled with that lifestyle, and I've got to be honest, I do pity them, as they'll never know what it's like to be content.
I think a lot of people of your age would be very happy to own their own home. They might not pick the same house as your or pick the same car as you, but that doesn’t mean they would be appalled by what you have. They might be mean about what you have but it doesn’t mean people wouldn’t be jealous to be in your position. You also wouldn’t have your flat had you not aspired to having it, if you’d not saved that money and has you not worked hard with that goal in mind, so you could equally say you have been in their position, not content or happy with what you had, you also say you made sacrifices to buy your home, cheap mobile phone, and not been frivolous with spending, this suggests you feel you have forfeited things to get what you wanted, ie you have missed out.
Other people much younger than you have children and would not be able to get by with a 1 bedroom flat or would not be able to manage a family in a small car (dunno if yours is a 3 or 5 door, but there is no way a family of 4 would manage in my 3 door evo) what you have to remember is content isn’t just having what you want now, if someone doesn’t want what you want it doesn’t mean they are not content and is also doesn’t mean you should “Pity” them, everyone is plodding through life and doing what they need to do, and getting the things they need to.
At 28 if you are to say you have achieved everything you ever wanted from life and that you are “content with what you have” I find quite sad. Means you might as well give up now you have nothing else to do with your life. I think anyone could equally make a case that, that’s something to pity. At your age I would argue I had the biggest turning point in my life and I was selling my flat, divorcing my (at that time) wife and quitting my job. I had everything you profess to be content with now and more but was still not happy. I went back to university, moved back in with my parents and started new relationships. I can tell you from first hand hard learned experience where you live what you own and how much your phone contract costs, means nothing to nobody.
I see things very differently to you, I see repeatedly on this forum that you like to talk about what you own and what you have and you like people to take notice of what you’ve achieved but if someone was to do that to you, then you like to put them down in one way or another, either they have not achieved as much as you, or they are over achievers not content with making do with what they have. and therefore are something worth pitying.
So while I agree with the statement as made, there are people who will never know what it’s like to be happy, and content. it is quite offensive, obnoxious and condescending to hold yourself in such high regard as to “pity” someone for not wanting what you have, without any thought for their reasons.
Anyone here could do exactly the same to you, “I pity your for not buying a 2 bedroom flat” or “I pity you for not having a 2009 punto”, and literally any argument you could make to say why you are happy with what you have I could easily turn into a reason to suggest someone should ‘pity’ you.
If you do this in the real world, I can see how you would very easily get people’s backs up, and find yourself the target of ridicule or abuse.
Literally the best thing you could do is quit worrying about what other people have or want, and realise that it doesn’t matter to anyone else but you, what you have or want.
