Achieving Level
According to a recent Cato survey, most Americans find rich people admirable:
Nearly three‐fourths (71%) of Americans admire more than resent the rich. But people also believe this admiration can be taken to excess. A similar share (75%) believe that their fellow Americans admire the rich “too much.” Few people (23%) say they go so far as to feel “angry” when they read or hear about rich people. The share who feel anger nearly doubles to 41% among strong liberals and rises to 53% among those most favorable toward socialism.
This raises a question of what “wealthy” means, but the survey apparently didn’t ask about that. My bias is with the majority, though. I tend to think of the rich as generically admirable, under a couple of assumptions that may or may not be true. For one, the wealthy in my imagination are not wealthy because they have more of others people’s stuff, but because they’ve done good things that others have paid them for. For another, my imaginary wealthy got that way by being shrewd and playing the cards that life dealt them better than others have. This could be for any number of reasons, but probably mundane actions such as being thrifty and saving up for the future. It might even be that my imaginary wealthy think a lot like me: they are my equals in so many ways.
The interesting—or perhaps entertaining—bit of the survey was that almost three-quarters admire the rich, but three-quarters also think their fellow Americans admire the rich too much. Younger people think the rich have too much, whereas older survey participants tend to do more admiring, both of which are understandable assuming the young haven’t managed to save a lot yet, and are at the low end of their career earning potential. Is this another sign that older people feel better about themselves than young people do?
As to who passes for “rich,” it used to be a matter of relative perception. People feel relatively poor if the people they know seem to have more. On the other hand, as was learned in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, there are people with very high incomes who have a lot of stuff with high costs and expenses. Those people could be fabulously wealthy to all outward appearances, but be scraping by paycheck to paycheck due to their exorbitant expenses. Fancy homes, vehicles, and toys come with large payments on credit.
People who tend to assume the rich got that way by taking more than they need from others might be most prominent among the envious. If you imagine the wealthy to consist of individuals you don’t like, you’re probably more likely to have negative attitudes about them. For instance, if I, as a conservative/libertarian-inclined person, thought the rich were mostly progressive activists like George Soros or Tom Steyer, I’d probably resent them. If I thought of them as hard-working people who weren’t involved in funding politics I didn’t like, I’d have a less negative mood about them. Which is where my mood is, in fact. The imaginary rich who are my equals in behavior and belief are more preferable.
How do you feel about the wealthy of your mind?
Good Morning
I have nothing against the wealthy as a group ( and to me, wealthy is upper middle class and above...which is how I grew up, not coincidentally...lol...so people like me I guess?) Good for them...I am a capitalist in most ways ( some right leaning ideas about it not so much...lol)
Unfortunately, I personally didn't duplicate that. Lots of reason, but, not because I couldn't have done so assuming some things went differently than they did. I am certainly smart enough and talented enough to at least work for big money...what I definitely am not is that ambitious, especially if it involves being dishonest or mean.. The other problem is money doesn't mean a lot to me as a status thing or on it's own, it is just an tool I have to have to support myself...lol....I care way more about people , and don't find having a lot of money necessarily a virtue or the aggressive pursuit of it being so...Nor do I favor holding on to it till I die, for what reason? Part of its purpose is for rewards for working so hard, the money in itself doesn't matter to me, what I can with it does.
I am now lower middle class, just below the average income in the U...which is the best I have done so far, and there is a possibility that willingness get better...
What I have a problem with is obscene greed and arrogance, and any wealthy people ( or corporations) who exhibit either or both I do not like. And people who are obscenely wealthy not helping those who need help with their money. Or good causes.
Today is Eat Outside Day, Matchmaker Day & Trail Mix Day. I found these cool colored pencils that if you wet them, they draw like watercolors? Way too cool...I used them for my Day of Drawings for the boss , and it was fun and looked better than the marker ones...
Tomorrow is Friday thank goodness, I have a three day week end and I wanted to get my mammogram, E-Check and stop at my mechanic's to get him to turn off a warning they forgot to when I went there last...but, the imaging center ( and the e-check, though they have a kiosk I am going to try and do...not confident I can...lol) is closed Monday, so maybe Saturday. I asked Rick to ride along and I would buy lunch and he could help me with the e-check, but so far he has said no...sigh
Have a Terrific Thursday!
PS: Sunny and 60', high will be 70 today, 80 tomorrow though. Fall isn't supposed to happen yet...lol...usually we have hot temps in September sometimes into October...when I was a teenager I wanted it to get cooler soon so I could wear my cool new clothes and shoes...lol
Good morning! It's sunny and pleasant here today, with a projected high of 78 degrees around 4 pm.
As for rich people... I guess I don't really have any strong opinions on them. I think I mostly line up with you, Marque. But, I'd also say there are some rich people who can be quite ridiculous and performative on occasion.
So, slightly more negative than you, I guess.
If anyone wants some more surrealism, I'm happy to provide.
This song is called "i wish that i could wear hats": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmFGbBmlyKQ
And here's another skit: https://billwurtz.com/out-to-lunch.mp4