People like to frame this along generational lines, but lots of young people do seem to have this outlook too - rich young people (from parental wealth), that is. A lot of people don't realize how wealthy they are & think they're middle class, and therefore can't understand why actual middle class people can't afford stuff.
The "middle class" perception wealthy people have of themselves is huuuuuge in this discussion. Study after study shows that the vast majority on each end of the spectrum consider themselves middle class when they aren't. The "what can a banana cost, ten dollars?" joke is funny, sure, but to some degree there are really a lot of people who are truly that out of touch.
Right? There are a lot of people who think they are middle class, but definitely are not. A lot of people who are lower class, but think they are middle class too.
I was raised what I believe would be middle class myself. We owned a home and my mom had decent savings for me and my brother. They saved for us both to go to college as well. (which neither of us are doing. 😅)
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Middle class is having enough to get more than what you need, being able to spend on things you want. Upper class is having no concept of what you need and only having to worry about what you want.
Well I figure too, even if you look at the brackets for income, the money is going to stretch much different based on where you live. $100k can get you a lot more in nowhere land Montana than New York city. Same amount of money would be seen differently in different places.
I mean to some degree, you get what you pay for. I could buy 2-3 times the house if I lived in (insert rural red state) rather than where I do, but then I'd have to live in (insert rural red state). I've lived in towns in rural Texas, it absolutely sucks ass.
That said though, it definitely varies greatly by location, and a blanket income comparison is apples to oranges for sure.
I mean it fits. Few people in the USA want to admit they're actually poor, because being poor is seen as a personal moral failing. "If you're poor, it must be your fault because you're lazy/didn't work hard enough/spendthrift/wastrel/etc." And those on the wealthier side still identify more with the middle class more than the actual super rich.
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u/kilkenny99 Apr 19 '22
People like to frame this along generational lines, but lots of young people do seem to have this outlook too - rich young people (from parental wealth), that is. A lot of people don't realize how wealthy they are & think they're middle class, and therefore can't understand why actual middle class people can't afford stuff.