My older brother continues to outshine me

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https://www.duolingo.com/course/ja/en/Learn-Japanese

So I know of three people that have gone to Japan without knowing a stitch of Japanese.

How they were able to do that and be fine is, two of them had a social connection. One had a friend that was living there that she stayed with and the other traveled there with her boyfriend to see his dad that lives there. The last one can't be copied because she's a millionaire XD money talks.

Learning some basics of the language would be good, but if you could find a way to befriend someone that lives there would be to the largest advantage. Most Japanese do know some (although maybe limited) English, though they like many other people aren't terribly fond of the tourist.

If this is something you actually want to pursue, you are going to have to make some sacrifices to rework how you use your money. Fireblossom, is right in that you would probably do well to try to eat at home by fixing yourself food there. You can make it so you're not eating junk that way too, it'd be much healthier than eating out.

To be honest, I don't think your brother really sounds like someone you should try to compare yourself to. Way too redneck.

For learning Japanese, though, I second the language app Duolingo. I'm using it to speak more fluent Spanish and it's helping me. It may not be college-level instruction, but if you're in a financial bind and are feeling down about acheivements, it seems like a good option.

Without reading the entire thread, I can mention that my brother is a highly successful Engineer, mainly due to the fact he is NOT the stereotypical introvert: he is a master public speaker to make a long story short. Everything in life came easy to him and while he had women throwing themselves at him all through his 20s I didn't even go on my first date until 28 and have been looking for a decent job for 7 $*#@ years now with zero success.

Fast forward to today and I have no doubt even with my relatively low paying job he would probably change places with me in a heartbeat. I have a stable marriage (and her parents are almost like a second Mom and Dad), have a baby boy and while not rich have good finances due to being smart with money. He meanwhile is hopelessly addicted to drama, has slowly lost most of his friends (as they surpassed him in maturity and most have children). He is clearly very depressed and has recently wasted large amount of money. How sad that he is so poor the only thing he has is money?

One of the advantages I have over him is that I have faced numerous struggles in life while everything came easy to him. As a result, now that he is finally not the "life of the party" he is having a very difficult time coping. Who is outshining who?

Welcome back, GHF!

He shoots....he scores!

Congrats to the Raptors.

My brother has amassed millions of dollars through "being in the right place at the right time," so to speak. He was a commodities broker, and he had a "seat" on a commodities exchange. He sold it for probably close to 100 times the original cost of the seat.

Yes, he has "outshined" me. My mother is somewhat disappointed that I didn't go "farther" in life.

But...nevertheless...even though I have to get better in some ways, I still believe I'm a viable person. I only have maybe 30 more years to live, and I intend to enjoy those years as much as possible.

My older brothers' illegal activities and subsequent legal battles made it practically impossible to have any friends during my teen years. They 'outshone' me by diverting my parents' attention away from the rest of us when we needed it the most. Now one of them is laying low in the wetlands of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, while the other is retired and living on a fixed income. They were both 'favorites' of various family members, who thought that they were simply 'misunderstood'.

I had to leave my home state and put myself through university. Now I am the 'favorite', but only because some of my relatives finally remembered that there were more than just my two older brothers. They also realized that I am the only brother who has made something of himself.

Guess who they smile at and say, "Pretty please" whenever they want a handout?

Guess who doesn't give it to them and instead says, "Ask my brothers"?

I know, from experience, that "older brothers" and "confiding in them" are quite mutually exclusive.

There are some good older brothers; but there are other older brothers who remain unrepentant a**holes until the day they die.

This older brother seems like the latter to me.