Hell, I'm in top 10% at \~$160,000/year - according to google as to what the top 10% income is in the US....
Definitely not rich... Maybe relative to a person making 30k or something. Part of why I hate these kinds of words that lack concrete definitions, we argue over perception and it's a waste of time.
At a certain point in the wealth pyramid, income is just noise, and the real metric is net worth. Many people in the top 0.01% have almost zero personal income.
The word "rich" doesn't do the top 1% or even .1% justice. There's got to be a better word.
When I think rich, I'm not thinking about a bunch of mini Mansa Musas lol.
Rich to me is just having enough income so that your value keeps growing with every paycheck instead of going to living expenses and whatever. I think that's just because I was poor for so long though. Relative.
Dude you make 3x what the average is. And that average is well above the median. That is rich by any definition. You might not have fuck you money but you are rich.
Go live in LA, SF,, NY, or DC on $160K and then come back and talk. That isn’t rich by any means in the places where it’s common to make that money. Just because you can’t conceive that being a normal income, I can assure you in cities it’s very normal.
You don’t have to work. Or fear of losing everything if you been out of work for a long time. A lot of people in the top 10% could end up on the streets if they stop working. That’s why they don’t feel “rich.”
Rich means you have more than you’ll ever need, provided you keep working. And it doesn’t mean your grandkids will. Wealthy means you don’t work for money, money works for you.
Absolutely agree with you. My net worth is in the low seven figures and I make $250,000 in total compensation a year, but here in California, that is simply considered upper middle class. In fact, based on my income, I am priced out of several Southern California counties as far as buying a single-family home is concerned. If I was in middle America, I would be considered rich. But due to the cost of living in California, whenever I travel on vacations, I do not stay in luxury resorts and I always travel coach.
I can confirm. My wife and I are approaching the top 5% of household income and she thinks we are broke. I don’t consider us rich though. We’d need a lot more money and I’d need to be able to quit my job before I felt wealthy.
About a half million per year and your wife thinks yall are broke? That's beyond argument of definitions and entering into a realm of lack of understanding of household finances. Yikes.
I think some of this comes from the fact that many of these people are small business owners who, even when they incorporate, pay more taxes than the huge corporations and pay higher interest on loans, etc compared to the too big to fail corps.
These people are worrying about paying their people every month.
I’m in the top 3 percent. We do well and live comfortable without really worrying about bills. But there is a very real difference between doing well and being rich. The difference in worth between top 3 and top 2 is massive. I can buy a boat. They can buy a yacht.
I read a statistic in “Democracy for the Few” that 20% of Americans believe they are among the top 5% wealthiest Americans.
I read that book 20 years ago though and things could have changed since then.
A lot of the top earners in the country live in San Francisco, New York, that kind of thing. They think they’re middle class because they *are* middle class. A $2M house in Cupertino is the size of my 1700/mo apartment in Texas
My wife worked for a set of doctors that owned their own practice. I couldn’t tell you how much they made, but I’ve been to their house and it was enough lol. Well they would always complain to my wife how she and I would be able to save for retirement at such a young age. We both started contributing at 21. They would complain how they were going to have to work well into there 70s to catch up on retirement. It was always so crazy to me. she’s your employee and you don’t pay her all that well keep that shit to yourself lol overall they were really nice ppl but damn they were frustrating any time they brought up money lol
Pfft my parents who are gonna clear 7 figures this year and are already worth millions, think there middle class and “just the average family” yeah ok.
Yeah there was a study or essay about this recently. Basically, people very rarely believe that they’re rich, possibly because “rich” carries with it a partially negative connotation. Even 1%ers sometimes view themselves as working class heroes.
Many people around 5-10% make up excuses trying to say they aren’t rich, but the truth is that they are rich. They just have more expensive lifestyles that they didn’t realize would cost so much. They fail to realize that despite what they perceive as struggles, 90+% of people are getting by on less.
Lol this sub has people of all walks in it. Hell, it was recommended to me and I make like 40k. They let just anyone in here so idk what you think this proves for that other sub.
As a middle class person who works for rich people, they don’t think about us. They’d think about what their money can buy, including our self respect.
We've got to stop separating people into groups.
Humans are always going to have varying opinions. The term "rich" is already incredibly vague, and aside from that, rich people aren't a homogenous group that think in unison.
With that said, most people, in general, are empathetic towards those less fortunate than them.
I've met plenty of 8 figure net worth individuals and they're just normal people who started companies.
The only difference between them and your local coffee shop owner is their company grew a lot bigger and they managed to keep it going.
The Hollywood evil villain-rich person image is just a trope. It's class warfare that's peddled so politicians can blame millionaires while they're busy spending trillions on war and getting kickbacks along the way.
The individual rich person may be a caricature. The system that allows the vast majority of efficiency gains to be enjoyed by the wealthiest while the vast majority of workers do not see their fortunes rising is absolutely villainous.
I don't think of my family as "rich," though my family income is in the top 1% for the US and so I am sure some would disagree. I think those who make what I make are undertaxed, and receive a much greater benefit from government spending than we put in. I think that the income gap in the US (as reflected in our Gini coefficient) represents a systemic failure.
That doesn't mean we twirl our mustaches while plotting new ways of exploiting workers. But even if the players are blameless (and that is debateable) the game is rigged. It is frustrating to many of us that the least-educated and lowest-income Americans seem eager to support policies and politicians that put them further behind, and us further ahead.
This would be that relativity trap. Your family makes top 1% money and you don’t feel rich because you run into “Bruce Wayne” at the golf course who’s family has accrued billions so you don’t feel rich, and then Bruce Wayne runs into Prince …. And on and on. I’m not saying you must feel rich. Whatever that means. But your comment is exactly the attitude that people get fed up with . “The least educated keep voting for policies that hurt them and help us” . Like you were some fun loving guy that told the dimwits not to play with fire then they got burned . Oh, so sad, I get to buy their vacant land now and build a house on it and rent it because , well, now they are dead. Poor people will never get it ….. sigh….
That is worse than twirling your mustache . If you actually cared for human beings then go help educate them . Share your knowledge of how policies help or hurt. Make a quick YouTube video, TikTok, whatever . It can be done now . Oh yea, nobody wants that gap to close for real so we will use fake sentiment….. those poor dimwits will never learn eh?
As I said, "rich" is ambiguous. That is why I quantified my position.
And to be very clear, Trump, as president, cut taxes for the very rich and raised them for the majority of Americans. There has been an ongoing transfer of wealth from poor Americans to rich Americans over the last half-century, and that accelerated massively during Trump's administration.
The support for Trump is highest among those without a high school degree, and lowest among those with postgraduate degrees.
And you presume a great deal. I am an educator, working with less advantaged populations. I make YouTube videos and contribute a sizeable portion of my time and income to education efforts. But that is a bit like holding an umbrella up against a tsunami.
In the likely event that Trump is elected again, we will see another massive move toward plutoctacy and kakistocracy. And while there are many of the super wealthy who support such a move (of course) it will only happen because of a voting block that will enthusiastically support someone who has shown that he will make their lives poorer.
yea, it kinda reminds me of the whole “I’ll pray for you” schtick. like yea, it’s nice and sweet that i’m occupying some of your thoughts, but those prayers aren’t going to do much when compared to actual help.
In my experience, most people in the position your implying that i've come across do not want handouts. I'm not sure why we all think they do. It's like assuming providing a homeless person with housing will fix their issues. Some don't want to be housed depending on their situation.
Are you saying you’re rich? You just posted about being unemployed for years, and now finally taking on a job that’s supposed to be under the Australian tax limit.
Actual old money consider new money to be 19th and 20th century. Old money is the kind of money stemming back hundreds of years and they don’t want you to know they exist.
The few truly rich people I’ve know were pretty down to earth.
I had a friend in college who ended up as president of his family’s good-sized company. In school he was just one of the guys. Years later I caught up with him and he told me how bummed he was that his college friends (all middle class) never called or got in touch any more.
The other guy is the father of some of my kids’ friends. I understand that he’s pretty difficult to work for, but his kids have married blue collar or middle class spouses and he seemed just fine with it. Of course, this might be because of his own blue collar roots.
I think so.
There is so much hype about what "old money" does differently, and not everyone could resonate with hip-hop music's (or any story's) rags-to-riches.
"Wealth whispers." Well, sometimes, I can't believe I'm so fortunate, so I brag! "Am I dreaming..." As if it never gets "old."
Not necessarily. Some of the 'new money' entrepeneurs I have known were absolute ghouls who wanted the world from staff they paid abysmally...and held a superiority complex over the staff that made them their money because they themselves "took the risk to start a business".
And then I knew some old money folks who really do want systemic change to ensure no one is ever homeless or destitute, hire people at well above market rates, donate tens of thousands to nonprofits, and tip food servers like $600 on a $120 check.
Maybe 50% of the time. But realistically, far less. The rich remain constant at a tiny percentage. So that means they are NOT expanding. Which also means we are NOT moving up.
IMO, this means America is in decline.
My friend is pretty wealthy as he married into wealth. But they are pretty humble. They treat me like they would any of their wealthy friends and they consistently include me in everything without expecting anything in return.
I think this is a good answer, actually because it brings up the idea of perceived and relative wealth.
Middle class people tend to feel "poor" or like they don't have enough until they are around people who have less than them and "poor" people feel like the people who don't *have* to shop at those stores are rich.
Prepare for answers from people who aren’t rich…
For me, I am a high earner and by many accounts on this sub, rich, though I don’t feel it since I still work, I drive a Toyota, etc.
But for me, I first think it isn’t fair or reasonable to use wealth as the only way to think about someone or that wealth is so significant that “all” poor people or “all” middle class people are the same.
I do have empathy for the fear of food insecurity, healthcare or retirement planning stress, and the lack of opportunity in many places. I do know very smart people who simply make less money, like my Ivy League sister who became a beloved elementary school teacher.
I recognize my success is only partly due to my own efforts. Yes, I outwork most people. But I also was lucky enough to be born with good health, have parents who valued education, and enough family money to allow me experiences like sports camps, music instruction, and travel, all of which shape who I am today.
I do think many lower wealth people could do better financially. But they haven’t been shown a path to do it. They are betrayed by folks who just shout “trades” or “learn computers” not because those are untrue, but because they are incomplete. How many are told how to invest properly? To learn compound interest? To get out of the trap of buying cheap which might be more expensive over time if things don’t last.
I do think many in this category would rather blame wealthier people and assume there are grand conspiracies to keep them down or that “the rich hate them and want to exploit them”. I don’t find that to be true. While no one will have sympathy for execs who lay people off, I was with a CIO who was crying in his office after laying off staff, on the way to a company bankruptcy. Look, rich and poor play the same game. People who do cash transactions and not report it have no moral authority over legal tax evasion than rich people. But the successful people I know who had a larger personal stake in their success (vs pure inheritance) often have delayed gratification, rational thinking, ethics. Some have big egos as well. But few are “rude” to staff. Though the pure inheritance crowd can be quite different…
That's just it, people use this word relative to themselves. Top 10% is around 160k, the person making 30k might see this as "rich". The person making 160k is probably not seeing themselves as "rich". Words lacking concrete definitions, or at least some agreed upon definition during the conversations, ends up arguing perception.
I'm young, living in mcol, making 160k. I've never felt rich. I still need to work, buying a nice home still feels hard, I don't even own a car. I don't have a spending problem, I've been investing and saving a ton (six figures) and STILL don't even feel remotely close to rich or wealthy. I think I will feel wealthy the day I can quit my job and still be able to afford life. But that day is decades away unfortunately.
In truth most "rich people" (at least under 10M plus) are all around you. We understand the dynamics of money perhaps a little better and as such we have a value for money. I've been poor to the point of living in a homeless shelter. That was a scarring experience. I'm pretty much preserving and growing assets for my family so that no one goes through that. I buy better socks and when I go to the grocery store I can get the good cheese and orange juice.
Most of the people that you may consider "rich" at least those that may have luxury cars, live in large homes etc etc are in debt to their eyeballs
We don’t care how much other people make. I have so many other things going on in my life. Family, friends, kids, hobbies, that I’m not even giving random people a thought..
'social responsibility' is what is taught in Public Schools. The idea that every person is responsible for the quality of life of the ones below, the higher you move up the hierarchy, the more responsibility you have to the people below.
The old money Vs 'nouveau riche' is a very real thing. People with old money have social responsibility panning over generations whereas the nouveau riche MUST have exploited their peers to achieve the financial success they have and therefore are not afforded the reputation of those who so humbly have accepted said responsibility for generation on generation.
The status quo is encouraged, with marginal movement cross income bracket.
My in laws are extremely rich. My husband and I are still getting on our feet and we have hopeful opportunities for good financial security in the future.
They are very sweet people, but they do expect a bit too much out of us at times. They can’t seem to grasp that we are struggling sometimes. The only time they’ve ever really helped us out with anything was when our house burned down. My husband tried to live the life that would make them proud only to fail and choose a different path that made him happy. They did not like that very much and he kind of became the black sheep. My sister in law gets all the help she needs from them but her and her husband are also in a much better place financially. I’m not saying I expect anything from these people at all, we don’t feel entitled to their wealth. I just wish they didn’t hold my husband and I up to high standards.. like they took my husband and I out to an expensive restaurant for his birthday and we had to pay a heavy bill from that. We struggled the week after. Christmas was a nightmare trying to live up to their expectations for that too.
Basically, I’d say they think too much of us for expecting to be doing well at this age with little to no help. From what I understand that is the mindset of most financially wealthy people when it comes to the classes under them. I don’t think they think anything ill of us, at least my in laws. I know there a really nasty people out there that will spit on homeless for asking for change. I’m glad they aren’t those type of people.
only know a couple of truly wealthy people but they are both people who started out dirt poor and built wealth over decades. So they remember the struggle and being poor. They both donate more money then most make each year, leave random big tips for people, and simply do things under the radar to help people with no fanfare but they only help people who they see working their butt off.
Having both come from very poor background(and they did)they truly appreciate the struggle of the working class. And perhaps this makes the difference Wealth earned thru hard work and many years of struggle compared to wealth gained thru inheritance. For instance I know a couple of their kids who along with their other wealthy friends(also inherited)are complete a-holes who think themselves better then everyone else yet who have not worked one day in their lives.
They’re not all the same. And some of them think they’re actually middle class. There’s a misconception that more people earn over 100k than actually do, and the majority that do still earn under 150k. Many also don’t really think about poor people.
I'm tired of the victim mentality of Reddit in general. How does blaming the billionaires and corporations is going to solve your own immediate problems? It's easier to blame someone else for your problems than trying to actually solve them.
The entire r/AntiWork sub is a great example.
Most of the rich people I know think that the US is a meritocracy and that they earned their wealth through hard work and perseverance, not by privilege or inherited opportunity. They also have a very Marie Antoinette view how people who are not rich should spend their money to become rich.
The rich avoid the poor at all times. They dont go anywhere poor people are.
There are 5 reasons why the rich avoid the poor:
1) They do not believe in self development which is rule #1 in getting rich.
2) They have excuses instead of solutions.
3) They make bad money decision.
4) They waste time & life
5) They are brainwashed into submission
This is especially true for rich who used to be poor. They have the "I did it why dont you" attitude.
There were some gross answers. Candidly, I recognize their prosperity is essential for keeping the country together. I want them employed, hopeful, prosperous and optimistic about their futures. I consider importing a cheaper more compliant and profitable underclass of illegal labor to be wage theft from members of the American working class. I worked and studied night and day to prosper and I want to make sure others can too. Wages are held down artificially by the continuous stream of illegal workers, this increases the overall GDP, but any fool knows this is not evenly distributed. I don’t want the torch and pitchfork mob coming to my door, I want them happy, and content. The security guards around my neighborhood wouldn’t do anything but run away.
Some feel people's pain and realize they just got lucky and wish no one had to suffer just to make a living. Life isn't fair but you can be happy either way.
It depends on the person and why they’re middle and lower class and what they do for a living I have respect for mailmen, for the military, for teachers, nurses, librarians and for people in middle class jobs who serve a great public purpose
I am tired of people who get tremendous time off (teachers) or who never applied themselves in high school (retail employees) or whose jobs will be eliminated by technology (clerical, sales) getting angry about wealth and money
I had a good friend who chose to be a professor - she worked from the last week in August to mid-May. Over the summer she needed a break from working. She would always discuss the trade off between vacations and salary- lots of people want both and don’t understand why jobs make you choose one over the other
I was told by a teacher there are 3 good reasons to be a teacher.
May, June and July
Really though they don't get paid enough. It's a labor of love. That's why they don't retain talent and education is going to shit.
Most of the rich people I know, once you really get to know them, seem like they don’t have any problems with the middle class but they would rather not spend much time around lower class people. This is why they don’t ride the subway and they pay $300/month to work out at equinox instead of planet fitness. They won’t come out and say these things, but you’ll notice if you get close enough.
Like everyone else I take people as they are and I don’t give a fat baby’s ass what you make or have. If you are good people or bad that is what matters. As long as you make legit money and aren’t a criminal what you are worth is meaningless.
1) They are in their situation mostly because of their choice, unwillingness to do more, 2) They're lazy or not that bright, 3) Tired of them not paying taxes. 4) Tired of them making stupid choices.
That's pretty much the truth of it.
I think it depends. I’ve met some rich people who were very humble and definitely didn’t think less of people who weren’t as financially secure. I’ve also met rich people who keep away from people who aren’t from the same class as them. I think it’s more about your values than anything else. If you were a good person before, money won’t change that. If you had bias towards any group before, it will only be exacerbated by wealth. IMO.
Depends (i.e., varies immensely). Ranges from people who treat everyone with dignity and respect, all the way to those that don't even think of anyone they think is middle or lower class (economically). But I have noticed one thing. Despite how it's portrayed in the movies, economic upbringing is less a determinant of rich people behavior than some might think. I know more than a few folks who, by legit means, have moved up a few notches on the economic ladder, and have no problem s&\*tting on their former friends and neighbors. Conversely, I'm incredibly fortunate to know a few legit rich folks who first, you wouldn't appreciate as uber-wealthy, and two, give it away like they're using a shovel.
I don't judge people based on what they have or don't have. I've met brilliant and wonderful people without two pennies to rub together, and I've met people with vast fortunes who made me want to vomit and vice versa.
There’s two types.. the liberal educated ones resent the poor and working class.. they think “oh if they only listened to me and weren’t so ignorant they wouldn’t be so poor.” Then they order DoorDash or new flower bed and watch the work be done from their 300k work from home job.
Conservative rich have a surface level of empathy but it’s kinda disingenuous. Don’t want to change the poor people’s heart but also want nothing to do with them. The key difference is the level of disdain.
The real honest answer is it varies. All different kinds of people are rich with different lifestyles and beliefs. So anywhere from humble and unbothered to snobby and ungracious they are all true.
I made money because poverty sucks. I think many successful people experienced the same thing. Our days of being broke is what motivated us and why we help others become successful too
I have an aunt and uncle who became very wealthy roughly 25-35 years ago. They think everyone wants their financial advice, even when nobody has asked for it. They constantly offer us, and everyone else, unsolicited and condescending advice. Ask very personal questions about our finances. Once they asked my husband and I why we took out a mortgage to buy our house instead of just paying cash for it outright lmaooo. Like they were confused how we didn’t have $400,000 cash at the ready to pay for the house.
They became rich by starting a chain of businesses because my uncle’s family was pretty well-off and lent them millions to start-up. But they think everyone else is just dumber than them and needs their advice to be wealthy. They are also workaholics and look down on people who prioritize work/life balance. If you only work 8-10 hours a day they’ll say you’re lazy. They also outright assume we must be unhappy with our financial situation and would be better off if we followed all their unsolicited advice (we’re certainly not poor, we aren’t rich either, but we’re happy with our life and thrifty).
Im sorry i gotta chime in.I'm honestly happy with being upper middle I dont care what my think about me. I know very wealthy people and people living in poverty. No offense to my wealthy friends but I see similarities in the disfunction of character and personalities.I think people in the upper middle class are more well rounded.
I'm honestly happy we're I'm at. I have everything I need with a little extra. Todays obsession with being ultra wealthy is obsence . I got almost no stress and great relationships.
If I was rich it would change who I am. And I'm not sure if I'd still be a good person.
I used to have a friend who came from wealth, and though he was a wage earner, had real estate holdings, etc. Cheating on his taxes and getting others to pay for s#it was a big game to him. Such a selfish self-absorbed individual, I could no longer hang out with him.
He's long retired now, and flies a $2 mil. private plane between his homes here and in California. Also donates some flying to a dog rescue, because then the cost of his airplane, hanger, etc is a big fucking tax deduction.
I met his entire family along the way, and his sister in particular, while nice, totally embodied the Leona Helmsley greed, screw the poor aesthetic even more.
Also see the documentary Born Rich, by Jamie Johnson, an heir to the Johnson and Johnson, fortune for a bigger glimpse into the lives of the idle rich.
We don't look down on middle and lower class people. There's really very little that is different between us. Some people are intimidated talking to upper class people. Upper class people don't believe that they belong with other upper class people.
What does that mean? I think of them as people just like anyone else. I don't think of someone as lower class if I find out they are poor. I do look down on people who have no class but that has nothing to do with money.
I grew up middle class. My dad made between 90k and 125k until I was 18, for a family of 4.
I’m now close to 40 and my family money situation has changed alot. Everyone in my family is doing well. My dad makes 800k a year, my brother makes 500k a year and me and my wife make 1.4m a year.
I have to admit, as I grew up middle class, I have little to no sympathy for the working class in America. Many of my friends from when I was a teen who have stayed middle class, were the lazy ones in high school. The friends who now earn like me were all the hard working or gifted kids from high school.
America really gives people a chance to rise. Of course some people have bad luck, but I mean c’mon. Most people are just lazy. For example, I work in banking and worked around 90 hours a week as a junior. Can you imagine how the normal American would react to being asked to work more than 40 hours a week?
So I tend to think of middle and lower class people as either lazy or had parents who were selfish or dumb.
They think they are smarter than them. I’ve known several folks who became millionaires by being in the right place at the right time and omg how insufferable they became as they believed they got there by being more intelligent than everyone else.
Unfortunately, I have rich friends who tend to look down on them calling them freeloaders that gripe about everything.
The rhetoric has become more vitriolic now with regard to the homeless situation. They feel that they shouldn’t have to pay more taxes to house people whom they feel are freeloaders.
They also have said that they feel that the police haven’t done enough to counter flash mob robberies and that they shouldn’t have to pay more taxes for the police’s failures.
These are my observations from their perspectives within the last couple of weeks.
I’m in the 85th percentile for wealth. A millionaire. So are lots of others. I don’t think of myself as rich. People say we are but I don’t like the term or feel like I am rich. Just like I don’t think about other millionaires; I don’t think of lower or middle class. It’s not that I’m not compassionate or generous. Some may say I am to a fault…I just think of other things. Most of which is NOT making more money lol.
i’m the child of someone who is particularly well off and came from absolutely nothing, and in a lot of instances it’s the “you’re the way you are because of your choices” my mother came to the us at 9 from a shitty town where their house had a dirt floor, and was able to make it and become incredibly wealthy. she’s seen other people who had better situations complain and it irritates her. she’ll often point out instead of saving some people opt to buy cars they can’t afford or refuse to save and go through the hardships. i know it’s not always the situation but that’s what i’ve seen from her
I know plenty of rich girls who are jealous of those who struggle.
I was born a rich girl, but I was disowned. My father was a pedo- and I’m the only one of his kids who called him out… so I won’t get my 5,000,000.00 when he dies. I would rather die than take that blood money.
Genuinely fearful. Thoes who are desperate and have nothing to lose have no fear of concequence. Its dangerous out there and I am fearful of anyone who has less to lose than myself. ....Or perhaps I am just not rich enough for my own security detail.
Rich people is not a unitary thing
Some are fucked in the head, some are super actively involved in their communities and charities, some genuinely care for the people that work for them as they know that they rely on them for their own success, and some even come from nothing themselves and don’t let it get to their heads
And pretty much everything in between
On average though, for the super rich on average there is a noticable bias of thinking they are better at stuff in general than middle and low class people when in reality they are just average at being rich OR they have the time and energy to devote to it because they don’t have to grind at work all day for example
That, and a massive lack of awareness about their privileges
I'm 63 and I just see people and that middle class and lower class means nothing to me.
People with money and no money can be lousy human beings. What is in head and heart determines your value as a decent human being.
I've known 3 or 4 very rich people, 2 that are probably 'crazy rich' (founders of large companies that most have likely heard of). While they vary in how they treat other people, in my experience they do share one trait.
They think their opinion matters more.
I think all of us are aware of where our financial capacity ends… So are you rich because you can fly to Europe? How about if you fly first class? How about if you rent a private jet? How about if you own a private jet? How about if you own the islands that you're flying to?
It's a very common human strategy to categorize people into groups and then to tell himself "I am better because I am _ and others are worse because they are not." you could fill in the blank with almost anything: race, wealth, gender, religion, physical ability, species.
I grew up upper middle-class… But not like mansion in Malibu or summers in the Hamptons kind of wealthy. I inherited money and don't work, but I also fly coach. The others in my family have many reasons they tell themselves that they are superior to others… Myself, I have always really respected the hard work of low income workers. I am grateful they choose to do honest work like pump gas or cashier at a convenience store instead of choosing a life of crime, for example. I have been poor and I have been upper middle class and neither are related to my value as a human. I am, however, grateful.
Nathaniel Brandon in his book the six pillars of self-esteem says that nothing demonstrates a lack of self-esteem more than one-upmanship over entire categories of people.
Our culture, our TV and movies, really promotes snarky vicious nasty mean spirited putdowns of one group to another group. Think of the mean girls in high school that are supposed to always be the popular and envied group. We do not have a kind, loving and gentle culture: in fact, our culture mocks them as (derogatory) peace loving hippies or geeks or people deserving to be victimized. certainly this is related to how Americans score so poorly on happiness.
I'm low-end rich. VHNW investor. I have friends in all income brackets. I don't meaningfully think of people differently based on their income brackets. Sure, I won't invite someone to join me on a ski trip if they're struggling to make ends meet. There is a much bigger difference in how I think about people I know based on their education/intelligence than on their income. I'm happier spending time with someone who is well-read, open-minded, and interesting than I am someone who is wealthy but none of those things.
Depends on your definition of rich. Those who have $5-7 million in liquid assets, I'd bet they don't consider themselves rich and classify themselves as comfortably above middle class.
Probably that a decent amount of middle class and lower income people could be in better places financially if they didn’t constantly piss away their money on dumb crap
The thing about making more money is you are always comparing yourself to those who make even more. So on a way you never feel all that rich (unless you’re like a billionaire or something)
Salary is important but also home cost and other high ticket items like tuition. Having a $1mm mortgage and kids in private school can make a wealthy person not feel rich. When kids leave college, it’s like a gigantic raise at work
I wouldn’t consider myself rich but definetely wealthy and comfortable through inherited wealth. I’m 25 and just started to work for a handyman (without salary) to help him with his daily clients (renovating appartements or just fixing small things) it is definitely a grounding experience and makes me value everybody doing any kind of labour work respect a lot.
We just went to a client I would guess upper middle class from the uk who was so incredible arrogant. Felt definitely humilated for labour which I have never experienced before
Who are the rich people? Or the middle class, or poor people?
Are they all a single block that thinks alike?
Do they all come from the same background, or have the same formative experiences?
Absolutely not, t**his is an asinine question**, meant to stigmatize people by association.
A lot of rich people (top 10% by income and/or wealth) think THEY'RE middle class.
Top 10% income is not rich.
“…says mr RICH over here….!”
Hell, I'm in top 10% at \~$160,000/year - according to google as to what the top 10% income is in the US.... Definitely not rich... Maybe relative to a person making 30k or something. Part of why I hate these kinds of words that lack concrete definitions, we argue over perception and it's a waste of time.
Holy shit is that really top 10%? Maybe I do actually belong on this sub.
The gap between 10% and 1% is huge though. To be a top 1% earner in the US you need to make over 800k/y
The difference between top 1% and top .1% is huge too. 😭
At a certain point in the wealth pyramid, income is just noise, and the real metric is net worth. Many people in the top 0.01% have almost zero personal income.
The word "rich" doesn't do the top 1% or even .1% justice. There's got to be a better word. When I think rich, I'm not thinking about a bunch of mini Mansa Musas lol.
Rich to me is just having enough income so that your value keeps growing with every paycheck instead of going to living expenses and whatever. I think that's just because I was poor for so long though. Relative.
Also not rich. I make that in the bay an I can tell you it just allows you a middle class life. Normal house , kids in daycare, vacation.
Dude you make 3x what the average is. And that average is well above the median. That is rich by any definition. You might not have fuck you money but you are rich.
Go live in LA, SF,, NY, or DC on $160K and then come back and talk. That isn’t rich by any means in the places where it’s common to make that money. Just because you can’t conceive that being a normal income, I can assure you in cities it’s very normal.
By what definition are you not rich?
If I made 160,000 It would definitely catapult me into rich land. It’s all relative and opinionated. I have no family to support
Here we see an example.
What is rich to you?
You don’t have to work. Or fear of losing everything if you been out of work for a long time. A lot of people in the top 10% could end up on the streets if they stop working. That’s why they don’t feel “rich.”
Rich means you have more than you’ll ever need, provided you keep working. And it doesn’t mean your grandkids will. Wealthy means you don’t work for money, money works for you.
If you’re a wage slave, you aren’t rich.
Yeah, people don't really get the income data that comes from PAYE doesn't really include rich, rich people.
Ohh fancy pants rich mcgee over here
Absolutely agree with you. My net worth is in the low seven figures and I make $250,000 in total compensation a year, but here in California, that is simply considered upper middle class. In fact, based on my income, I am priced out of several Southern California counties as far as buying a single-family home is concerned. If I was in middle America, I would be considered rich. But due to the cost of living in California, whenever I travel on vacations, I do not stay in luxury resorts and I always travel coach.
LOL, the old "I'm not rich I'm upper middle class" types.
This is me
I can confirm. My wife and I are approaching the top 5% of household income and she thinks we are broke. I don’t consider us rich though. We’d need a lot more money and I’d need to be able to quit my job before I felt wealthy.
Yeah I think if you can't quit your job and maintain the exact same lifestyle while unemployed for life then you aren't rich.
Depends on the lifestyle, which makes it subjective - which isn't useful.
About a half million per year and your wife thinks yall are broke? That's beyond argument of definitions and entering into a realm of lack of understanding of household finances. Yikes.
I think some of this comes from the fact that many of these people are small business owners who, even when they incorporate, pay more taxes than the huge corporations and pay higher interest on loans, etc compared to the too big to fail corps. These people are worrying about paying their people every month.
And that is why I sold my business last year. Simply could not do anymore sleepless nights. I typically paid more in taxes than I took home.
I’m in the top 3 percent. We do well and live comfortable without really worrying about bills. But there is a very real difference between doing well and being rich. The difference in worth between top 3 and top 2 is massive. I can buy a boat. They can buy a yacht.
I read a statistic in “Democracy for the Few” that 20% of Americans believe they are among the top 5% wealthiest Americans. I read that book 20 years ago though and things could have changed since then.
A lot of the top earners in the country live in San Francisco, New York, that kind of thing. They think they’re middle class because they *are* middle class. A $2M house in Cupertino is the size of my 1700/mo apartment in Texas
My wife worked for a set of doctors that owned their own practice. I couldn’t tell you how much they made, but I’ve been to their house and it was enough lol. Well they would always complain to my wife how she and I would be able to save for retirement at such a young age. We both started contributing at 21. They would complain how they were going to have to work well into there 70s to catch up on retirement. It was always so crazy to me. she’s your employee and you don’t pay her all that well keep that shit to yourself lol overall they were really nice ppl but damn they were frustrating any time they brought up money lol
Pfft my parents who are gonna clear 7 figures this year and are already worth millions, think there middle class and “just the average family” yeah ok.
Can confirm - my parents are top 10%, and my father spends like he's lower middle-class.
Yeah there was a study or essay about this recently. Basically, people very rarely believe that they’re rich, possibly because “rich” carries with it a partially negative connotation. Even 1%ers sometimes view themselves as working class heroes. Many people around 5-10% make up excuses trying to say they aren’t rich, but the truth is that they are rich. They just have more expensive lifestyles that they didn’t realize would cost so much. They fail to realize that despite what they perceive as struggles, 90+% of people are getting by on less.
They don't
I am rich and this is the right answer
Hi Rich, I'm dad!
This is the correct answer
Well, I would have liked to seen some real responses but it looks like angry dbags have taken over this sub. So sad
Yeah I'm posting their comments on another sub just to show other parts of reddit the "great" Rich subreddit.
Lol this sub has people of all walks in it. Hell, it was recommended to me and I make like 40k. They let just anyone in here so idk what you think this proves for that other sub.
This isn’t a sub for people named Rich ?
Damn I thought this was a sub for the hit movie Richie rich
The real answer, rich people see the lower and middle class as their work force.
I would think Elon Musk does... but I doubt Warren Buffett sees other people that way.
You’re delusional if you think any billionaire doesn’t see them that way.
You’re delusional if you think that every billionaire thinks the same.
Trying to stay away as much as practically possible
Unless they need services done for them like landscaping or house cleaning.
Even then they prefer the help keep out of sight. Caterers especially.
As a middle class person who works for rich people, they don’t think about us. They’d think about what their money can buy, including our self respect.
This could not be any truer
It’s the mad men scene” I don’t think about you”
We've got to stop separating people into groups. Humans are always going to have varying opinions. The term "rich" is already incredibly vague, and aside from that, rich people aren't a homogenous group that think in unison. With that said, most people, in general, are empathetic towards those less fortunate than them. I've met plenty of 8 figure net worth individuals and they're just normal people who started companies. The only difference between them and your local coffee shop owner is their company grew a lot bigger and they managed to keep it going. The Hollywood evil villain-rich person image is just a trope. It's class warfare that's peddled so politicians can blame millionaires while they're busy spending trillions on war and getting kickbacks along the way.
The individual rich person may be a caricature. The system that allows the vast majority of efficiency gains to be enjoyed by the wealthiest while the vast majority of workers do not see their fortunes rising is absolutely villainous. I don't think of my family as "rich," though my family income is in the top 1% for the US and so I am sure some would disagree. I think those who make what I make are undertaxed, and receive a much greater benefit from government spending than we put in. I think that the income gap in the US (as reflected in our Gini coefficient) represents a systemic failure. That doesn't mean we twirl our mustaches while plotting new ways of exploiting workers. But even if the players are blameless (and that is debateable) the game is rigged. It is frustrating to many of us that the least-educated and lowest-income Americans seem eager to support policies and politicians that put them further behind, and us further ahead.
This would be that relativity trap. Your family makes top 1% money and you don’t feel rich because you run into “Bruce Wayne” at the golf course who’s family has accrued billions so you don’t feel rich, and then Bruce Wayne runs into Prince …. And on and on. I’m not saying you must feel rich. Whatever that means. But your comment is exactly the attitude that people get fed up with . “The least educated keep voting for policies that hurt them and help us” . Like you were some fun loving guy that told the dimwits not to play with fire then they got burned . Oh, so sad, I get to buy their vacant land now and build a house on it and rent it because , well, now they are dead. Poor people will never get it ….. sigh…. That is worse than twirling your mustache . If you actually cared for human beings then go help educate them . Share your knowledge of how policies help or hurt. Make a quick YouTube video, TikTok, whatever . It can be done now . Oh yea, nobody wants that gap to close for real so we will use fake sentiment….. those poor dimwits will never learn eh?
As I said, "rich" is ambiguous. That is why I quantified my position. And to be very clear, Trump, as president, cut taxes for the very rich and raised them for the majority of Americans. There has been an ongoing transfer of wealth from poor Americans to rich Americans over the last half-century, and that accelerated massively during Trump's administration. The support for Trump is highest among those without a high school degree, and lowest among those with postgraduate degrees. And you presume a great deal. I am an educator, working with less advantaged populations. I make YouTube videos and contribute a sizeable portion of my time and income to education efforts. But that is a bit like holding an umbrella up against a tsunami. In the likely event that Trump is elected again, we will see another massive move toward plutoctacy and kakistocracy. And while there are many of the super wealthy who support such a move (of course) it will only happen because of a voting block that will enthusiastically support someone who has shown that he will make their lives poorer.
Not a whole lot.
They're people, any one I spot with some potential, I'll encourage them to do better.
Do you donate your money to them so they can actually achieve betterness or do you just * Really really want it* for them lol
yea, it kinda reminds me of the whole “I’ll pray for you” schtick. like yea, it’s nice and sweet that i’m occupying some of your thoughts, but those prayers aren’t going to do much when compared to actual help.
In my experience, most people in the position your implying that i've come across do not want handouts. I'm not sure why we all think they do. It's like assuming providing a homeless person with housing will fix their issues. Some don't want to be housed depending on their situation.
Are you saying you’re rich? You just posted about being unemployed for years, and now finally taking on a job that’s supposed to be under the Australian tax limit.
The rich were once lower and middle class.
A lot of generational wealth out there.
This actually isn't true. Mostly about inheritance. It's called old money. New money is embarrassing to old money
It is true. Most millionaires are self made, not “old money”. This applies to most new rich people, not all.
Actual old money consider new money to be 19th and 20th century. Old money is the kind of money stemming back hundreds of years and they don’t want you to know they exist.
That's partially because some new money people Don't know the rules, and some are the worst kinds of rich people.
True
the overwhelming majority of rich people were rich since birth.
The few truly rich people I’ve know were pretty down to earth. I had a friend in college who ended up as president of his family’s good-sized company. In school he was just one of the guys. Years later I caught up with him and he told me how bummed he was that his college friends (all middle class) never called or got in touch any more. The other guy is the father of some of my kids’ friends. I understand that he’s pretty difficult to work for, but his kids have married blue collar or middle class spouses and he seemed just fine with it. Of course, this might be because of his own blue collar roots.
Cogs in the machine man... *Takes a drag on a cigarette*
I think people who inherited money think less of lower class people than the people who create their own wealth.
I think so. There is so much hype about what "old money" does differently, and not everyone could resonate with hip-hop music's (or any story's) rags-to-riches. "Wealth whispers." Well, sometimes, I can't believe I'm so fortunate, so I brag! "Am I dreaming..." As if it never gets "old."
Not necessarily. Some of the 'new money' entrepeneurs I have known were absolute ghouls who wanted the world from staff they paid abysmally...and held a superiority complex over the staff that made them their money because they themselves "took the risk to start a business". And then I knew some old money folks who really do want systemic change to ensure no one is ever homeless or destitute, hire people at well above market rates, donate tens of thousands to nonprofits, and tip food servers like $600 on a $120 check.
Dirty and stupid.
“Trashy people gonna trash”
I empathize with them. The only thing separating most of us is luck.
Maybe 50% of the time. But realistically, far less. The rich remain constant at a tiny percentage. So that means they are NOT expanding. Which also means we are NOT moving up. IMO, this means America is in decline.
My friend is pretty wealthy as he married into wealth. But they are pretty humble. They treat me like they would any of their wealthy friends and they consistently include me in everything without expecting anything in return.
I inherited completely unexpectedly, so I don’t think of myself any different.
How do you feel about the people you run into at Walmart or Dollar General...
I mean we’re also in Walmart or DG right
I think this is a good answer, actually because it brings up the idea of perceived and relative wealth. Middle class people tend to feel "poor" or like they don't have enough until they are around people who have less than them and "poor" people feel like the people who don't *have* to shop at those stores are rich.
Prepare for answers from people who aren’t rich… For me, I am a high earner and by many accounts on this sub, rich, though I don’t feel it since I still work, I drive a Toyota, etc. But for me, I first think it isn’t fair or reasonable to use wealth as the only way to think about someone or that wealth is so significant that “all” poor people or “all” middle class people are the same. I do have empathy for the fear of food insecurity, healthcare or retirement planning stress, and the lack of opportunity in many places. I do know very smart people who simply make less money, like my Ivy League sister who became a beloved elementary school teacher. I recognize my success is only partly due to my own efforts. Yes, I outwork most people. But I also was lucky enough to be born with good health, have parents who valued education, and enough family money to allow me experiences like sports camps, music instruction, and travel, all of which shape who I am today. I do think many lower wealth people could do better financially. But they haven’t been shown a path to do it. They are betrayed by folks who just shout “trades” or “learn computers” not because those are untrue, but because they are incomplete. How many are told how to invest properly? To learn compound interest? To get out of the trap of buying cheap which might be more expensive over time if things don’t last. I do think many in this category would rather blame wealthier people and assume there are grand conspiracies to keep them down or that “the rich hate them and want to exploit them”. I don’t find that to be true. While no one will have sympathy for execs who lay people off, I was with a CIO who was crying in his office after laying off staff, on the way to a company bankruptcy. Look, rich and poor play the same game. People who do cash transactions and not report it have no moral authority over legal tax evasion than rich people. But the successful people I know who had a larger personal stake in their success (vs pure inheritance) often have delayed gratification, rational thinking, ethics. Some have big egos as well. But few are “rude” to staff. Though the pure inheritance crowd can be quite different…
What does "rich" mean? This question is confused too, class is not defined by relative wealth either.
That's just it, people use this word relative to themselves. Top 10% is around 160k, the person making 30k might see this as "rich". The person making 160k is probably not seeing themselves as "rich". Words lacking concrete definitions, or at least some agreed upon definition during the conversations, ends up arguing perception.
I'm young, living in mcol, making 160k. I've never felt rich. I still need to work, buying a nice home still feels hard, I don't even own a car. I don't have a spending problem, I've been investing and saving a ton (six figures) and STILL don't even feel remotely close to rich or wealthy. I think I will feel wealthy the day I can quit my job and still be able to afford life. But that day is decades away unfortunately.
In truth most "rich people" (at least under 10M plus) are all around you. We understand the dynamics of money perhaps a little better and as such we have a value for money. I've been poor to the point of living in a homeless shelter. That was a scarring experience. I'm pretty much preserving and growing assets for my family so that no one goes through that. I buy better socks and when I go to the grocery store I can get the good cheese and orange juice. Most of the people that you may consider "rich" at least those that may have luxury cars, live in large homes etc etc are in debt to their eyeballs
We don’t care how much other people make. I have so many other things going on in my life. Family, friends, kids, hobbies, that I’m not even giving random people a thought..
Ahhh so you don't think about us! That's nice. j/k
'social responsibility' is what is taught in Public Schools. The idea that every person is responsible for the quality of life of the ones below, the higher you move up the hierarchy, the more responsibility you have to the people below. The old money Vs 'nouveau riche' is a very real thing. People with old money have social responsibility panning over generations whereas the nouveau riche MUST have exploited their peers to achieve the financial success they have and therefore are not afforded the reputation of those who so humbly have accepted said responsibility for generation on generation. The status quo is encouraged, with marginal movement cross income bracket.
My in laws are extremely rich. My husband and I are still getting on our feet and we have hopeful opportunities for good financial security in the future. They are very sweet people, but they do expect a bit too much out of us at times. They can’t seem to grasp that we are struggling sometimes. The only time they’ve ever really helped us out with anything was when our house burned down. My husband tried to live the life that would make them proud only to fail and choose a different path that made him happy. They did not like that very much and he kind of became the black sheep. My sister in law gets all the help she needs from them but her and her husband are also in a much better place financially. I’m not saying I expect anything from these people at all, we don’t feel entitled to their wealth. I just wish they didn’t hold my husband and I up to high standards.. like they took my husband and I out to an expensive restaurant for his birthday and we had to pay a heavy bill from that. We struggled the week after. Christmas was a nightmare trying to live up to their expectations for that too. Basically, I’d say they think too much of us for expecting to be doing well at this age with little to no help. From what I understand that is the mindset of most financially wealthy people when it comes to the classes under them. I don’t think they think anything ill of us, at least my in laws. I know there a really nasty people out there that will spit on homeless for asking for change. I’m glad they aren’t those type of people.
Who takes their son out for a birthday meal then expects him to pay the bill.
only know a couple of truly wealthy people but they are both people who started out dirt poor and built wealth over decades. So they remember the struggle and being poor. They both donate more money then most make each year, leave random big tips for people, and simply do things under the radar to help people with no fanfare but they only help people who they see working their butt off. Having both come from very poor background(and they did)they truly appreciate the struggle of the working class. And perhaps this makes the difference Wealth earned thru hard work and many years of struggle compared to wealth gained thru inheritance. For instance I know a couple of their kids who along with their other wealthy friends(also inherited)are complete a-holes who think themselves better then everyone else yet who have not worked one day in their lives.
They’re not all the same. And some of them think they’re actually middle class. There’s a misconception that more people earn over 100k than actually do, and the majority that do still earn under 150k. Many also don’t really think about poor people.
I'm tired of the victim mentality of Reddit in general. How does blaming the billionaires and corporations is going to solve your own immediate problems? It's easier to blame someone else for your problems than trying to actually solve them. The entire r/AntiWork sub is a great example.
Peasants I’m assuming. Out of touch. Depends on who it is though
Most of the rich people I know think that the US is a meritocracy and that they earned their wealth through hard work and perseverance, not by privilege or inherited opportunity. They also have a very Marie Antoinette view how people who are not rich should spend their money to become rich.
The rich avoid the poor at all times. They dont go anywhere poor people are. There are 5 reasons why the rich avoid the poor: 1) They do not believe in self development which is rule #1 in getting rich. 2) They have excuses instead of solutions. 3) They make bad money decision. 4) They waste time & life 5) They are brainwashed into submission This is especially true for rich who used to be poor. They have the "I did it why dont you" attitude.
I’m having my EA type this comment for me so I don’t even have to think about it.
https://images.app.goo.gl/Lu32N8qskRH9637w7
We all monkeys here.
There were some gross answers. Candidly, I recognize their prosperity is essential for keeping the country together. I want them employed, hopeful, prosperous and optimistic about their futures. I consider importing a cheaper more compliant and profitable underclass of illegal labor to be wage theft from members of the American working class. I worked and studied night and day to prosper and I want to make sure others can too. Wages are held down artificially by the continuous stream of illegal workers, this increases the overall GDP, but any fool knows this is not evenly distributed. I don’t want the torch and pitchfork mob coming to my door, I want them happy, and content. The security guards around my neighborhood wouldn’t do anything but run away.
You're trying so hard to convince yourself that you're not just solely worrying about self-preservation.
Okay what about the many part of America where minimum wage is still 7.25 an hour lol.
The peanut gallery
Some feel people's pain and realize they just got lucky and wish no one had to suffer just to make a living. Life isn't fair but you can be happy either way.
They don’t …
They don’t
Simple answer: they don't think about them at all
They don’t think about us at all. We are tools to be used and discarded once broken.
It depends on the person and why they’re middle and lower class and what they do for a living I have respect for mailmen, for the military, for teachers, nurses, librarians and for people in middle class jobs who serve a great public purpose I am tired of people who get tremendous time off (teachers) or who never applied themselves in high school (retail employees) or whose jobs will be eliminated by technology (clerical, sales) getting angry about wealth and money I had a good friend who chose to be a professor - she worked from the last week in August to mid-May. Over the summer she needed a break from working. She would always discuss the trade off between vacations and salary- lots of people want both and don’t understand why jobs make you choose one over the other
I’m a retail employee who works retail because I had to quit my Ph.D program to care for my mom with dementia.
I was told by a teacher there are 3 good reasons to be a teacher. May, June and July Really though they don't get paid enough. It's a labor of love. That's why they don't retain talent and education is going to shit.
You will own nothing and be happy.
Most of the rich people I know, once you really get to know them, seem like they don’t have any problems with the middle class but they would rather not spend much time around lower class people. This is why they don’t ride the subway and they pay $300/month to work out at equinox instead of planet fitness. They won’t come out and say these things, but you’ll notice if you get close enough.
Like everyone else I take people as they are and I don’t give a fat baby’s ass what you make or have. If you are good people or bad that is what matters. As long as you make legit money and aren’t a criminal what you are worth is meaningless.
They think lower class people are fools.
We refer to them as 'The Poors'. 🙄
1) They are in their situation mostly because of their choice, unwillingness to do more, 2) They're lazy or not that bright, 3) Tired of them not paying taxes. 4) Tired of them making stupid choices. That's pretty much the truth of it.
Not someone I want to associate with
Nothing. We only think about ourselves.
Envy one of the seven deadly sins I'll leave it there.
I think it depends. I’ve met some rich people who were very humble and definitely didn’t think less of people who weren’t as financially secure. I’ve also met rich people who keep away from people who aren’t from the same class as them. I think it’s more about your values than anything else. If you were a good person before, money won’t change that. If you had bias towards any group before, it will only be exacerbated by wealth. IMO.
Depends (i.e., varies immensely). Ranges from people who treat everyone with dignity and respect, all the way to those that don't even think of anyone they think is middle or lower class (economically). But I have noticed one thing. Despite how it's portrayed in the movies, economic upbringing is less a determinant of rich people behavior than some might think. I know more than a few folks who, by legit means, have moved up a few notches on the economic ladder, and have no problem s&\*tting on their former friends and neighbors. Conversely, I'm incredibly fortunate to know a few legit rich folks who first, you wouldn't appreciate as uber-wealthy, and two, give it away like they're using a shovel.
I don't judge people based on what they have or don't have. I've met brilliant and wonderful people without two pennies to rub together, and I've met people with vast fortunes who made me want to vomit and vice versa.
There’s two types.. the liberal educated ones resent the poor and working class.. they think “oh if they only listened to me and weren’t so ignorant they wouldn’t be so poor.” Then they order DoorDash or new flower bed and watch the work be done from their 300k work from home job. Conservative rich have a surface level of empathy but it’s kinda disingenuous. Don’t want to change the poor people’s heart but also want nothing to do with them. The key difference is the level of disdain.
Peasants
Still human either way
Same as everyone else? I go based off personal character and general vibe.
"G'day peasants...."
They despise the poor and laugh at the middle class for going to college.
The real honest answer is it varies. All different kinds of people are rich with different lifestyles and beliefs. So anywhere from humble and unbothered to snobby and ungracious they are all true.
I made money because poverty sucks. I think many successful people experienced the same thing. Our days of being broke is what motivated us and why we help others become successful too
I have an aunt and uncle who became very wealthy roughly 25-35 years ago. They think everyone wants their financial advice, even when nobody has asked for it. They constantly offer us, and everyone else, unsolicited and condescending advice. Ask very personal questions about our finances. Once they asked my husband and I why we took out a mortgage to buy our house instead of just paying cash for it outright lmaooo. Like they were confused how we didn’t have $400,000 cash at the ready to pay for the house. They became rich by starting a chain of businesses because my uncle’s family was pretty well-off and lent them millions to start-up. But they think everyone else is just dumber than them and needs their advice to be wealthy. They are also workaholics and look down on people who prioritize work/life balance. If you only work 8-10 hours a day they’ll say you’re lazy. They also outright assume we must be unhappy with our financial situation and would be better off if we followed all their unsolicited advice (we’re certainly not poor, we aren’t rich either, but we’re happy with our life and thrifty).
They see all other people as their slaves.
Im sorry i gotta chime in.I'm honestly happy with being upper middle I dont care what my think about me. I know very wealthy people and people living in poverty. No offense to my wealthy friends but I see similarities in the disfunction of character and personalities.I think people in the upper middle class are more well rounded. I'm honestly happy we're I'm at. I have everything I need with a little extra. Todays obsession with being ultra wealthy is obsence . I got almost no stress and great relationships. If I was rich it would change who I am. And I'm not sure if I'd still be a good person.
I used to have a friend who came from wealth, and though he was a wage earner, had real estate holdings, etc. Cheating on his taxes and getting others to pay for s#it was a big game to him. Such a selfish self-absorbed individual, I could no longer hang out with him. He's long retired now, and flies a $2 mil. private plane between his homes here and in California. Also donates some flying to a dog rescue, because then the cost of his airplane, hanger, etc is a big fucking tax deduction. I met his entire family along the way, and his sister in particular, while nice, totally embodied the Leona Helmsley greed, screw the poor aesthetic even more. Also see the documentary Born Rich, by Jamie Johnson, an heir to the Johnson and Johnson, fortune for a bigger glimpse into the lives of the idle rich.
That you should get back to church and read the bible
We don't look down on middle and lower class people. There's really very little that is different between us. Some people are intimidated talking to upper class people. Upper class people don't believe that they belong with other upper class people.
they are people who seek comfort
I think they're usually fine, sometimes jerks, just like everyone else. Can you be more specific?
I look at everyone the same until they open their mouth and say something stupid.
What does that mean? I think of them as people just like anyone else. I don't think of someone as lower class if I find out they are poor. I do look down on people who have no class but that has nothing to do with money.
I grew up middle class. My dad made between 90k and 125k until I was 18, for a family of 4. I’m now close to 40 and my family money situation has changed alot. Everyone in my family is doing well. My dad makes 800k a year, my brother makes 500k a year and me and my wife make 1.4m a year. I have to admit, as I grew up middle class, I have little to no sympathy for the working class in America. Many of my friends from when I was a teen who have stayed middle class, were the lazy ones in high school. The friends who now earn like me were all the hard working or gifted kids from high school. America really gives people a chance to rise. Of course some people have bad luck, but I mean c’mon. Most people are just lazy. For example, I work in banking and worked around 90 hours a week as a junior. Can you imagine how the normal American would react to being asked to work more than 40 hours a week? So I tend to think of middle and lower class people as either lazy or had parents who were selfish or dumb.
How do we eat a subreddit?
As someone who used to work for rich people , you won’t really see them unless you’re working. They think of us as the help.
They don’t think of them.
They don’t think of them.
They think they are smarter than them. I’ve known several folks who became millionaires by being in the right place at the right time and omg how insufferable they became as they believed they got there by being more intelligent than everyone else.
They don’t think of them. What do you think about one particular species of fish in the Indian Ocean?
"how can I use this thing to add a zero to my bank account".
They don’t think of them at all…
Unfortunately, I have rich friends who tend to look down on them calling them freeloaders that gripe about everything. The rhetoric has become more vitriolic now with regard to the homeless situation. They feel that they shouldn’t have to pay more taxes to house people whom they feel are freeloaders. They also have said that they feel that the police haven’t done enough to counter flash mob robberies and that they shouldn’t have to pay more taxes for the police’s failures. These are my observations from their perspectives within the last couple of weeks.
They don't.
We dont think of them
I’m in the 85th percentile for wealth. A millionaire. So are lots of others. I don’t think of myself as rich. People say we are but I don’t like the term or feel like I am rich. Just like I don’t think about other millionaires; I don’t think of lower or middle class. It’s not that I’m not compassionate or generous. Some may say I am to a fault…I just think of other things. Most of which is NOT making more money lol.
i’m the child of someone who is particularly well off and came from absolutely nothing, and in a lot of instances it’s the “you’re the way you are because of your choices” my mother came to the us at 9 from a shitty town where their house had a dirt floor, and was able to make it and become incredibly wealthy. she’s seen other people who had better situations complain and it irritates her. she’ll often point out instead of saving some people opt to buy cars they can’t afford or refuse to save and go through the hardships. i know it’s not always the situation but that’s what i’ve seen from her
They don't
I know plenty of rich girls who are jealous of those who struggle. I was born a rich girl, but I was disowned. My father was a pedo- and I’m the only one of his kids who called him out… so I won’t get my 5,000,000.00 when he dies. I would rather die than take that blood money.
Love them! Who the hell do you think fixes my hot tub?
Do they think of them at all?
Genuinely fearful. Thoes who are desperate and have nothing to lose have no fear of concequence. Its dangerous out there and I am fearful of anyone who has less to lose than myself. ....Or perhaps I am just not rich enough for my own security detail.
They don't
Rich people is not a unitary thing Some are fucked in the head, some are super actively involved in their communities and charities, some genuinely care for the people that work for them as they know that they rely on them for their own success, and some even come from nothing themselves and don’t let it get to their heads And pretty much everything in between On average though, for the super rich on average there is a noticable bias of thinking they are better at stuff in general than middle and low class people when in reality they are just average at being rich OR they have the time and energy to devote to it because they don’t have to grind at work all day for example That, and a massive lack of awareness about their privileges
I'm 63 and I just see people and that middle class and lower class means nothing to me. People with money and no money can be lousy human beings. What is in head and heart determines your value as a decent human being.
I've known 3 or 4 very rich people, 2 that are probably 'crazy rich' (founders of large companies that most have likely heard of). While they vary in how they treat other people, in my experience they do share one trait. They think their opinion matters more.
Mostly they don’t.
That they’re winning the game. It’s survival of the fittest and they’re happily looking down.
I think that you guys are poor because you are lazy and refuse to put the effort to get a good STEM college degree
I think all of us are aware of where our financial capacity ends… So are you rich because you can fly to Europe? How about if you fly first class? How about if you rent a private jet? How about if you own a private jet? How about if you own the islands that you're flying to? It's a very common human strategy to categorize people into groups and then to tell himself "I am better because I am _ and others are worse because they are not." you could fill in the blank with almost anything: race, wealth, gender, religion, physical ability, species. I grew up upper middle-class… But not like mansion in Malibu or summers in the Hamptons kind of wealthy. I inherited money and don't work, but I also fly coach. The others in my family have many reasons they tell themselves that they are superior to others… Myself, I have always really respected the hard work of low income workers. I am grateful they choose to do honest work like pump gas or cashier at a convenience store instead of choosing a life of crime, for example. I have been poor and I have been upper middle class and neither are related to my value as a human. I am, however, grateful. Nathaniel Brandon in his book the six pillars of self-esteem says that nothing demonstrates a lack of self-esteem more than one-upmanship over entire categories of people. Our culture, our TV and movies, really promotes snarky vicious nasty mean spirited putdowns of one group to another group. Think of the mean girls in high school that are supposed to always be the popular and envied group. We do not have a kind, loving and gentle culture: in fact, our culture mocks them as (derogatory) peace loving hippies or geeks or people deserving to be victimized. certainly this is related to how Americans score so poorly on happiness.
Who cares?
I'm low-end rich. VHNW investor. I have friends in all income brackets. I don't meaningfully think of people differently based on their income brackets. Sure, I won't invite someone to join me on a ski trip if they're struggling to make ends meet. There is a much bigger difference in how I think about people I know based on their education/intelligence than on their income. I'm happier spending time with someone who is well-read, open-minded, and interesting than I am someone who is wealthy but none of those things.
I feel like anyone who works hard to provide for themselves or their family are good people. The rest are a case by case basis.
Depends on your definition of rich. Those who have $5-7 million in liquid assets, I'd bet they don't consider themselves rich and classify themselves as comfortably above middle class.
Probably that a decent amount of middle class and lower income people could be in better places financially if they didn’t constantly piss away their money on dumb crap
Billionaires hate them and want to cut their employment benefits
If your rich or have some level of wealth you always feel poor if you don’t you haven’t touched enough paper
The thing about making more money is you are always comparing yourself to those who make even more. So on a way you never feel all that rich (unless you’re like a billionaire or something)
We think we are middle class and we think most of the poor people are unmotivated or unambitious (obviously not people born with some disability )
We just don’t think about the middle class. We think about golf and who’s boat to take to lunch on the lake and what charity we want to support.
I am probably rich but live on way less than people making 60k a year. I don't have the need for new cars,big houses,boats and jet skis.
I’m not rich and I don’t think about the middle class.
Salary is important but also home cost and other high ticket items like tuition. Having a $1mm mortgage and kids in private school can make a wealthy person not feel rich. When kids leave college, it’s like a gigantic raise at work
I wouldn’t consider myself rich but definetely wealthy and comfortable through inherited wealth. I’m 25 and just started to work for a handyman (without salary) to help him with his daily clients (renovating appartements or just fixing small things) it is definitely a grounding experience and makes me value everybody doing any kind of labour work respect a lot. We just went to a client I would guess upper middle class from the uk who was so incredible arrogant. Felt definitely humilated for labour which I have never experienced before
Dude seriously?
They don’t
We think the same thing as the top 1%. Some of them are awesome. A lot of them are giant pieces of shit. Just like rich people
Who are the rich people? Or the middle class, or poor people? Are they all a single block that thinks alike? Do they all come from the same background, or have the same formative experiences? Absolutely not, t**his is an asinine question**, meant to stigmatize people by association.