u/Infamous-Project-110

What if the world eliminated inherited wealth completely?

On your 18th birthday, you’re taken to a massive, unclaimed continent. You choose a plot of land, no country, no status, no family advantage. Everyone starts equal.

The next morning, it happens.

Money trees begin to grow on your land.

No one controls it. No one can influence it. It’s pure randomness.

Some people wake up to a forest of 20, 30 trees, instantly rich for life. Others get one… or none.

That’s it. That’s your financial destiny.

No careers. No climbing the ladder. No “hard work pays off.” Just luck.

Over time, societies start forming. The “forests” become the elite. The “barren lands” become desperate. Black markets appear, people trying to steal, transfer, or artificially grow trees. Religions form around “luck.” Governments try to regulate something that was never meant to be controlled.

The question is:
Would people accept a world that is honestly unfair, instead of pretending it’s merit-based?

I’ve only ever shared this with my best friend as I felt a bit embarrassed about it at the time, but after about two years, I feel like I just need to get it off my chest.

I matched with a girl on Hinge and we hit it off pretty quickly. She was a comedian who had just come back from overseas because her visa was expiring. We lived close to each other, so we decided to meet up for dinner soon after matching.

This was back when I didn’t really think twice about meeting someone from an app, with no background checks, just going with the flow. That definitely changed after this.

We met at a nice restaurant. Early on, she mentioned she had a medical condition and might jump between topics mid-conversation. I appreciated the heads-up and didn’t think much of it. Before dinner, she also took quite a few pills, explaining they were related to an appetite-related condition so she could eat. I didn’t question it and just tried to be respectful and make her feel comfortable.

The conversation itself was… intense. She spoke almost the entire time, jumping rapidly between unrelated topics. I barely got a chance to contribute, but I stayed polite and went along with it.

When the bill came, we agreed to split it. But when the waitress arrived, out of nowhere, she suddenly said she wanted to pay more than half “so I wouldn’t think she owed me anything.” That caught me completely off guard, especially since I hadn’t said or implied anything like that. At that point, I already felt like the vibe was a bit off, and I had decided I wouldn’t pursue things further.

Since I lived a few minutes away, she insisted on walking me home before calling an Uber. On the way, she mentioned she’d had a negative experience previously. I tried to reassure her while also keeping things neutral.

When we got to my place, she asked to use the bathroom. I hesitated for a second since it was late and I had a flatmate, but I said yes.

Once inside, things got more uncomfortable. She started wandering around the apartment, opening the fridge and cabinets, and handling random things without asking. I tried to gently steer things back on track and mentioned I needed to sleep since I had work early the next day.

She eventually went to the bathroom and stayed there for quite a while. When she came out, she suggested we go out to another bar, which I declined a few times. It was a bit difficult to wrap things up, but eventually she ordered an Uber and I walked her out.

The next day, I woke up to find my Hinge account had been banned. No explanation, no warning, and no real way to appeal it.

Out of confusion, I did some digging and came across a somewhat similar story online that felt reminiscent of my experience, although I have no way of verifying any of it. That uncertainty made me uneasy. For peace of mind, I documented what happened at the time after speaking with a friend.

What still bothers me is that I genuinely tried to be respectful the entire time. We went to a nice restaurant, I didn’t initiate anything, kept clear boundaries, and just tried to be a decent human being on a first date. Waking up to a ban with no explanation was honestly pretty unsettling.

I understand that most negative experiences tend to happen the other way around, and I’m not trying to compare situations. This just felt like a really strange and unsettling experience that stuck with me, and I’m just posting it here to get it off my chest before deleting it.

Curious if anyone else has had something similar happen, or if there’s something I might be missing here.