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Welcome to the US educational system. People have no idea that they pay the same rate on the first money they earn, and only move into a higher tax bracket if they backfill the lower brackets. The guy looking at his pay stub may think he's losing money because of withholding tables, but he could keep the money by filing a new W-4, or get it back by filing an income tax return at the end of the year.
As Chatty Kathy says, "Math is hard." 22% of American adults are functionally innumerate. If they look at a number they just see a bunch of squiggles, and all they know about money is that they don't have any. Their idea of being able to afford something means, "Can I make the payments?" If they stumbled into success, how would they know it? I'm sure you have encountered business owners with no idea their business was failing.
It’s not the fear of success so much as it’s the fear of additional responsibility, accountability, and scrutiny.
Not everyone is a natural leader, speaker, communicator, or manager.
Happens in my line of work as well, people who intentionally sabotage their chance at promotion because they don’t want the extra responsibility and scrutiny that comes with the pay raise.
It’s not the fear of success so much as it’s the fear of additional responsibility, accountability, and scrutiny.
Not everyone is a natural leader, speaker, communicator, or manager.
Happens in my line of work as well, people who intentionally sabotage their chance at promotion because they don’t want the extra responsibility and scrutiny that comes with the pay raise.
That's also a good point. Maybe some people feel more comfortable using "funny math" as the (fake) reason for turning down a promotion rather than admitting the simple truth that they just don't want the responsibilities that go with the new job? (Which is too bad, as there's nothing wrong with being satisfied with your current job. there's nothing wrong with not wanting to keep climbing the career ladder.)
That's also a good point. Maybe some people feel more comfortable using "funny math" as the (fake) reason for turning down a promotion rather than admitting the simple truth that they just don't want the responsibilities that go with the new job? (Which is too bad, as there's nothing wrong with being satisfied with your current job. there's nothing wrong with not wanting to keep climbing the career ladder.)
I live in the southeast and I've noticed this conflict of emotions among many, many individuals in my area. The best I can describe it is they're post-complacency in their current situation - they're getting antsy - but at the same time they're afraid of the spotlight and afraid of change. It's almost painful introversion. I don't know if this is a product of growing up in rural isolation for so long and actually having to interact with and manage others or what.
This internal conflict, I believe, is what causes so many people to drift from one $10/hr job to another. Never moving up, never stepping up to responsibility, because they're legitimately afraid. Not necessarily lazy. It's scares me more to be an entry level employee for the rest of my life, so I did something about it.
I'm making a rash generalization, but it's as if all the friends they'll make are made in childhood, and if you didn't grow up with them you'll never be more than an acquaintance. Everything is centered around "family". When I turned 18, my dad said "well, you're a man now - we can't tell you what to do but we're here if you need anything". He saw I was motivated and more responsible than my peers. Many natives to my area could be 40 years old, married with three kids and still be somebody's "boy".
Bottom line, people are idiots when it comes to understanding tax brackets. I have had several people swear up and down that when they got a raise, "the taxes taken out meant I made substantially less money." I don't understand this type of mathematical illiteracy.
Bottom line, people are idiots when it comes to understanding tax brackets. I have had several people swear up and down that when they got a raise, "the taxes taken out meant I made substantially less money." I don't understand this type of mathematical illiteracy.
I'm posting this under Economics instead of Work and Employment intentionally, under sheer speculation that this group may have a greater number of followers who are tax savvy, versus a mixed or unknown bag in forums whose title does not convey anything finance-related.
I have noticed an odd behavior from working people, it's not laziness, because they hold full time jobs and are very productive, but it's what looks to be like a genuine fear of success or perhaps fear of the unknown.
Some are coworkers, some are friends. My friend posted on social media that he's seeking a job change, specifically stating the range of $19-26 per hour. I commented "So you'd turn down $27 an hour?", he replied yes. I privately messaged him and asked "Tell me if I'm being too nosy, but is there something specific you're trying to qualify for?" His response was very simple, "No. I just don't want to be in too high a tax bracket." Astounding.
I've had a coworker say that he doesn't want to work too much overtime because he'd reach a point where he's actually bringing home less money. I can't tell if such individuals are sincerely convinced these things are true, or if for some other reason.
It's widely available online that tax tables are progressive, so any notion otherwise can easily be dispelled. It's like being told "don't train too hard at the gym, you'll look like one of those body builders!"
What's next? "Don't work too hard, you might become CEO!" (Against my will? By accidentally working too hard?)
Welcome to the US educational system. People have no idea that they pay the same rate on the first money they earn, and only move into a higher tax bracket if they backfill the lower brackets. The guy looking at his pay stub may think he's losing money because of withholding tables, but he could keep the money by filing a new W-4, or get it back by filing an income tax return at the end of the year.
As Chatty Kathy says, "Math is hard." 22% of American adults are functionally innumerate. If they look at a number they just see a bunch of squiggles, and all they know about money is that they don't have any. Their idea of being able to afford something means, "Can I make the payments?" If they stumbled into success, how would they know it? I'm sure you have encountered business owners with no idea their business was failing.
It makes me nuts how people go around saying they pay 35% or whatever in taxes. If you paid 35% in federal taxes, you would be making over a million $$. My husband's nephew, the leftwing liberal who things they should abolish ICE, thinks that to be a 1 percenter, you need to making like $30m a year.
Success tends to live up to an unrealistic set of standards . Such as : he is rich in knowledge..or laND or some endeavor few exceed. Once you reach the Mt top. Things are a bit lonelier.
I was labeled (inaccurately ) by my 1st grade teacher as an imbecile.Held back to be re-educated...
I wasn't slow...I was not receptive to militant and verbal chastising.
Get to 2nd grade..a teacher influenced my love for learning. I was actually one of three in the class that tested for the excellence training courses. I bulked at it because...I'd rather be a supportive student and not a test project for this program. To this day I prefer to be amongst the main stream and influence encouragingly vs being a subject of societies expectations . Every human failure would be magnified....
No thank you. Being 'it' is a bore.
To those given much...much is expected...
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