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The thought process is too narcissistic for me. I never worry about such things.
Most people are just living their life, not worrying about yours. People I've known with money, generally don't have an interest to judge others with or without. Those with a flashy lifestyle (This does not mean they have money, although they might), are usually too self consumed to worried about anybody else.
Weather I worry about these things or not does not take away the fact that I can see it happening. I never said I cared about what these people think, but I still wanted to put this out there in the open for people to discuss. The issue isn't weather or not you care these people act this way. And sorry, but it is usually the ones with the self absorbed flashy lifestyle that try to look down on you more. Because they present themselves as such affluent individuals openly they are more likely to visibly turn up their nose at those noticeably less affluent. Or maybe I just live in a town full of snobs. Your guess is as good as mine.
I don't necessarily feel people looking down on me, I just don't like being around those types. Mind you, not all of them are ridiculously pretentious, but quite a few are. The whole "keeping up w/the jones" mentality, it's so silly & I can see right thru them. Personally, they're conversation choices make me either yawn or vomit.
"that this phrase derives its meaning from Pembroke Jones, shipping and railway industrialist of the early twentieth century. Jones, of Wilmington, North Carolina, was a leader in both New York and Newport social circles well known for hosting lavish parties."
the jones family is still around here. I actually love talking to really materialistic people. it helps me weed out friends. I think wealth should be concealed. I might have $1000 in my pocket, but you wouldn't be able to tell. khaki's and a t-shirt has been my uniform for 15 years, and my t-shirts usually come from thrift stores, or are 15 year old punk rock t-shirts from my concert going days! I look through people too, and I often tell them that. I have been asked, what are you looking at. my reply, I am not looking at you, I am looking through you. feel free to use that one ya'll. oh, and this one. "what are you smiling at?" "I don't smile, I smirk."
I'm out to get the poor but only a couple at the moment!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Reads2MUCH
Have any of you experienced this kind of discrimination? Or, are you one of the well to do's who don't feel they act in this manner? All comments are welcome. Tell me what you all think.
When I think about how many folks think aliens crashed at Roswell and how many think the Twin Towers were bombed by George Bush, I am sure there are some who are paranoid enough to worry that the "rich" are routinely out to get the poor. I have experienced monetary discrimination from both sides of the equation but I've only been hurt by those with less than me. Just this week I ran off two young local men who, although I had been trying to help them through these times of high gas prices, returned the favor and stole over $1000 of my tools. And last month I gave (as in for free and I paid for the paperwork) a land lot and a mobile home to a person who refused to pay for the property even though they had signed a sales contract. My supposition is that both the young men and the young person in my mobile home thought I was rich and that they deserved what I had. Democrats no doubt.
When I think about how many folks think aliens crashed at Roswell and how many think the Twin Towers were bombed by George Bush, I am sure there are some who are paranoid enough to worry that the "rich" are routinely out to get the poor. I have experienced monetary discrimination from both sides of the equation but I've only been hurt by those with less than me. Just this week I ran off two young local men who, although I had been trying to help them through these times of high gas prices, returned the favor and stole over $1000 of my tools. And last month I gave (as in for free and I paid for the paperwork) a land lot and a mobile home to a person who refused to pay for the property even though they had signed a sales contract. My supposition is that both the young men and the young person in my mobile home thought I was rich and that they deserved what I had. Democrats no doubt.
Great post, HPR!
This whole thing comes down to, IMHO, subtly attempting to exploit class envy. Which, as you allude to, is mainly the domain of those lower classes who blame their circumstances in life not on their own life choices, but some sort of being exploited by "the wealthy" or "rich."
The real truth is, that most of those who are "poor" today, will enter the upper classes 20 years up the road. Here is a great column on the matter:
How many of those in the bottom twenty percent remained in the bottom twenty percent for a decade? Only three percent. No doubt there are many genuinely unfortunate people in that group. But they are nothing like the massive numbers of "the poor" that we hear about in the media or in what are called "the social sciences." Much of what is called "social science" could more accurately be called perjury
No welfare bum ever offered me a job when I was going to college and needed one. On the contrary, those who gave me the opportunity to work and better myself were those who had worked their own way up the ladder themselves.
Some were, yeah, wealthy. But so what? None looked "down" on me. On the other hand, every single one gave me every opportunity to move up the ladder as they themselves had thru the years. They looked down on slackers and whiners and those who felt the world owed them a living...but NOT those who worked hard and were properly compensated.
Personally, I think I have too much pride than to feel slighted by "the rich."
what you got to realize is this. I bet a lot of these chumps are fronting. anyone can get approved for a loan for a BMW and run up a crap load of debt. unless you have access to their savings account, I would just laugh them off. it's not what you make, it's what you spend.
Some might be "fronting" but many are not.
There is a rich area in my town of Doral with unreal Mansions in gated community its money from Venezuela people who fled after Chavez took over.
I was there once to pick up a friend to go fishing. 16 yr olds get new BMW, Humvees,etc .
The women have diamond rings that weigh more than my head and I have a big head like George Lopez lol .
jmarquise has written a lot good viable stuff in this thread, so far, and its early.
I'm quite a bit similar.
Early on I saw through the folly of having to "own stuff" like boats and RVs and vacation homes, etc. When I lived in Chesapeake Bay country the boatyards were full of boats that hardly ever left the dock. Wow, that an expense, not to mention these toys actually go DOWN in value, just like cars. RVs are the same hose job. Drive by any storage lot in any town and you'll see rows of RVs all lined up and rarely out on the open road. With $4 gas and $5 diesel, a LOT MORE boats and RVs will sit, unused.
Don't BUY anything unless you use it ALL the time. For occasional use, just RENT one instead (RV, Boat, Vacation Property, Horse, ATV, Jet Ski, Off Road Vehicle, Airplane, etc). If you 'must,' then go partners or start a club.
When I want to go fishing, I go out on a charter boat, then I walk AWAY from it when we get back to the dock. End of expense.
I travel at 35MPH in my Camry and spend $125 per night for a GOOD motel. This way I leave my $100K (cost of nice RV) in my broker account where it earns me about $10-15k per year, which by the way, covers ALL of my annual travel costs - and I still have my $100k for ME ME ME.
I won't own a second home. I won't tie up that much money. I'll go to a VERY nice resort instead, get pampered, use THEIR pool and facilities, and not have to cook, visit a supermarket, or "dump the tanks" on the RV.
As far as the discrimination of the wealthy, it is real and it exists. And it is not just the wealthy who'll look down upon or take advantage of you. My Mom reminded us that when we were down and out (1958) due to Dad having a paralytic stroke, a women down the street had my two sisters clean her house, a whole day's work on a Saturday, and gave each of my sisters ONE stinking dollar for a whole day of drudge work. Your neighbor may be only one step up the ladder from you, but most of them will try to kick you in the teeth or kick you off that ladder if they can.
I've known several self made millionaires in the trucking biz, most of them were just regular guys, used to sit around in the men's locker room with them, drink beer and play poker. These guys worked their way up over the years, but were at home in khaki pants and a plain work shirt, couldn't tell them from the drivers, hell, most of them WERE drivers to start with. Some never stopped driving a semi, it was their life, they'd come into the plant where I worked, back a truck right up to the dock and load up.
I grew up poor, with holes in my clothes and shoes and teeth. I was always good with a buck, paid close attention, invested, saved, and retired at age 55 to a great house in Colorado that as a kid I never dreamed I'd have. No kids, no pets, no bad 'habits' and NO bills. Though my income is half of what it was when working, our standard of living is as good or better . . . and now, every evening is Friday night, every sunrise is Saturday morning.
not all people put up a front, but a lot of people do. I live in NC, on the coast, so there is a lot of money here. a lot of rich "celebrities" live here. but there are a lot of fronters. I know people who exhausted all of the equity (they thought they had) in their homes to buy junk they didn't need. nice fancy cars, trips, and all that. now they are upside down on their homes, and unfortunately, we are going to pick up the bill for some of them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Luiso
Some might be "fronting" but many are not.
There is a rich area in my town of Doral with unreal Mansions in gated community its money from Venezuela people who fled after Chavez took over.
I was there once to pick up a friend to go fishing. 16 yr olds get new BMW, Humvees,etc .
The women have diamond rings that weigh more than my head and I have a big head like George Lopez lol .
As a native Texan, possibly as you are, I have always noticed a tendency by those I have worked with during my career to assume that all Texans were wealthy and, by default, so was I. I've even seen this attitude in other countries. In Chile it was understandable since the TV series "Dallas" was still one of the most favored shows as late as the 1980s. Early on in my work I tried to explain that my family was anything but rich. My family didn't have running water until I was in high school and heat was primarily by a fireplace. After I realized my tale of youthful poverty was simply falling on deaf ears, I gave up and just told them I am the son of a famous southern university football coach and first cousin to a famous Whitehouse coorespondent. They always heard that.
BTW, I read Thomas Sowell often. He's a great proponent of free-markets.
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I look through people too, and I often tell them that. I have been asked, what are you looking at. my reply, I am not looking at you, I am looking through you. feel free to use that one ya'll. oh, and this one. "what are you smiling at?" "I don't smile, I smirk."
I'm out to get the poor but only a couple at the moment!
