Positive spin: Who likes the "success minded" OC culture?

[Charles]

Originally Posted by CmpEngineer

I wonder what % of men buy some expensive sports car just to get laid?

Well then, it might be worth it. Can't argue with the guy. That's the ultimate trump card.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Charles

Maybe the fancy car for a person living in an apartment is kind of like a "Consolation Prize" for not getting the house he wanted.

Right. And people who view status items as "consolation prizes" primarily make ego driven purchases. People who buy things for ego reasons almost never have much money put aside. Being financially secure is something that's invisible. People who are ego driven want their things to be visible to others.

[Mr. Fantastic]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

Right. And people who view status items as "consolation prizes" primarily make ego driven purchases. People who buy things for ego reasons almost never have much money put aside. Being financially secure is something that's invisible. People who are ego driven want their things to be visible to others.

What if their main ego driver is a huge penis?

[SoCalCroozer]

Originally Posted by Guineas

I don't know what the hell you think the upper middle class is. But it's typically two professional income households (dad's the doctor, mom's the lawyer). They're easily in the top 5% of American households.

If by "success" you mean making money from money or being part of the rentier class, then that's not really success as much as inheritance and luck.

Maybe so but in this day and age being a "Doctor" and a "lawyer" are financially ambiguous. I'm sure a public defender "lawyer" isn't making the same million dollar salary some hot shot trial lawyer is. And that Primary care MD or geriatric MD working in skilled nursing facilities is hardly making the money a west hollywood plastic surgeon is. Middle class is not what it used to be that's for sure. This whole nonesne of low, mid, upper middle class is jus that. Back in the 50s when you were middle class you knew it. A plumber and a doctor lived next door to each other. You can be a doctor making 6 figures and be considered upper middle class and be a service worker making $30K a year and be considered middle class. But the lifestyles and assets of each are VERY different. Middle class as a category doesn't mean **** nowadays.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by SoCalCroozer

You can be a doctor making 6 figures and be considered upper middle class and be a service worker making $30K a year and be considered middle class. But the lifestyles and assets of each are VERY different. .

Today's $30K service worker would have been considered "working class" or "blue collar" in the past. We seem to have lost that terminology as a way to distinguish those folks from the professional/managerial "white collar" class.

[Mr. Fantastic]

Originally Posted by SoCalCroozer

You can be a doctor making 6 figures and be considered upper middle class and be a service worker making $30K a year and be considered middle class. But the lifestyles and assets of each are VERY different. Middle class as a category doesn't mean **** nowadays.

The only place someone making $30,000 a year would be considered "middle class" is in Tijuana, certainly not in SoCal. That's ridiculous.