How disconnected is the lower, middle, and upper classes from one another?

Few questions came to mind today.

How relatable are the class and social divides to one another individually? if they were on an elevator together what would the conversation sound like? Could they understand each other? Would they agree on anything? Is the upper class living in a totally different America then the lower class citizens, and whats now the new middle class?

Does anyone else have a perspective on this?

All of my friends are either "lower class" or "middle class". And many rich people aren't that bad. I agree with my friends that the economy stinks, the people are oppressed, etc all the big points. I like to relax with them over a big thing of cider and laugh about Seinfeld and laugh at DC.

Screw class divisions, we're all humans and we're all in this mess together.

a reply to: Yeahkeepwatchingme

I agree, but for analytical purposes...

a reply to: onequestion

It really depends on the individual.
I was upper middle class...lived the life...lost it all.
I have friends and acquaintances who are multimillionaires or will soon inherit vast wealth. All of them are down to earth. They either came from modest backgrounds and married well or were posed to inherit wealth and were made to learn how "the other half" lived before they turned 21 and had $10 mil in a trust fund.

I'm uncomfortable in their company even though they are more than generous and genuine.
The last time I spent the weekend with a friend like that, I was still married and my Bostons decided to have a piss war in one room of his house...his wife spent thousands, more than I made as a part time bartender in a year, to buy new carpet. I haven't visited since. Known the guy since I was 3.
I prefer the company of the "middle" or less...but that is just me. I used to drink with a guy who was the son of King Hussein of Jordan's aircraft fleet manager. Guy could party. I learned not to say "whatever you're having" because that was Johnny Black and Coke!

Personally, I'm more comfortable with people of my class (lower) than the others. I do have friends of a wide variety of income ranges, and to be frank, the ones upper MC & up...are rather materialistic & empty people. Those with less money tend to be more down to earth & practical the poorer they are (believe it or not) and are therefore people I'm more comfortable around. I can spend a day out in a park with broke people and have much more fun than spending the day with better off people tossing around cash left & right. Money doesn't make the good times, YOU do. That's what they always miss, they really think it takes moolah to have fun. It most certainly doesn't.

I've experienced all but the 0001% super elite. As was said (sorta) above, it depends on the empathy and brain power of the individuals involved... people are people and while economics has huge effects on education, comfort level and self-confidence, it doesn't mandate what you are.

That said, I usually prefer to hang out with people from the lower classes as they are simply usually more interesting and able to discern the important things and relate as people.

I wish all people were comfortable and rich, though.... I'd suffer the boring conversations.

a reply to: onequestion

SO I think the divide may be different then what your initially saying. I think its more if you go to a specific area of town or city. I think you can see it starkly now at least in my city you can see it plainly we know where the rich areas are at and we know where the poor areas are at. I could be wrong but I think what were seeing is more congregration of these types in the one area. its no longer true that you may have a couple well to do people living in a poor area. No they will move heaven and earth to live in that rich area because in most cases your talking about a better school district and whole litany of list of better's.

But what you were talking about with communicating with one another. I think people can communicate just fine with someone who is in different economic class then them its the fact do they want to, with each side your gonna have your judgements and bias. I don't want to talk to this person because they might be to snobby and might not even acknowledge me so why give them the time of day. I don't wan to this person because they might act crazy on me or worse ask me for money.

If they were all on a elevator nothing would be said because that is against elevator edicate to talk and ride at the same time.
a reply to: onequestion

I, personally, see a huge difference. My sister and I are pretty close, but when it comes to money, we are worlds apart. Without going in to details, My wife and I make right at 100k per year. Her husband, who is a big wheel in the oil industry, makes well in to 6 figures. [ over $500,000 ]. No matter how much food is left over after dinner, she throws it out. Me, I like soups and chili the second day, along with cold fried chicken and all that. She actually throws away as much as we cook. A massage, manicure/pedicure is a part of everyday life, not a luxury to be enjoyed on occasion. It's not a trip to the mall, unless you spend at least $500 and no day is complete without a stop at Starbucks going and coming. She drives a 2013 Jaguar, he has a Ford 250 King Ranch, which he's dressed out and worth about $78,000. They think nothing of spending thousands. Take trips to Hawaii or where ever else they feel like going. He goes on hunting trips to Canada, Mexico, Guatemala.....

I'm probably a bit jealous, even though she treats me and my family to one Hell of a time when ever we go to her house. She spares no expense taking us out to eat, museums, Six Flags, shopping.... What bothers me is the waste. Money thrown away on luxury items, instead of saved for "hard times". I try to tell her "One of these days, it won't be there and you'll wish you'd saved", but she doesn't listen. Oh and she spent over $20,00 on vet bills and chemo for her dog. It died any way. Don't get me wrong, I love my pets, but.....20 grand.... Thing of it is, they're just country folk. They don't dress any different than you or I, unless they're going out, then it's expensive clothing and jewelry. If you ever met either one, you'd never guess they're so well to do.
Maybe it's compensating for growing up somewhat poor. I don't know, I just know they love to spend money.

a reply to: DAVID64

I can relate to that. Most of my family is affluent except mine and we dont connect at all. Like 2 different worlds. Sense of humor non of it.

One cousin is way high up in the oil industry out in oaklahoma same thing, big beautiful house and all.

Kinda jelous about some things and not about others.

a reply to: DAVID64

I agree with many things you wrote. From personal experience, tons of them dress casual but fairly neat. Looking at them you would not think they have the bucks.

The leftovers seem to vary with each family. Plenty of them have leftovers, but they're for quick snacks (small portions) and honestly, the ones who don't have full time cooks sometimes feel tired and lazy. Coming home from work or a late night out it makes sense to just heat up some of last night's rice pilaf or eggplant.

Most of the shopping I do is for food. If something lasts I don't need to replace it, however that's just because I choose to invest in well made items.

And no offense but ugh Starbucks... Their products are disgusting.

a reply to: onequestion

One thing that really gets me is, they say they have money troubles. How the hell can you have money troubles at close to a million a year? But, I guess the old rule is true, "the more you have, the more you spend". We relate quite well and we all pretty much think alike. It gives me a little inside peek at the rich, because they have people over that make them look poor. They're mostly all good, down to earth folks, they just have a boat load of money and believe in having the good things in life. Notice I said "mostly". There are some real odd balls in there too.

a reply to: DAVID64

I'm gathering the economy set them back somehow. The biggest problem in the mainstream upper class is it is very expensive to maintain the image. So as you said, money is spent in greater proportions and the bills add up.

a reply to: DAVID64

Yeah, its how you spend it not how much you have.

a reply to: Yeahkeepwatchingme

There were some salary cut backs where he works. He took a $50,000 a year reduction.
Poor them.

a reply to: DAVID64

About 4 or 5 homes are in foreclosure in my development (the "utopian" gated communities, far from utopian and plain boring). It speaks volumes....

I won't say I'm some giant of monetary success, I'm very comfortable but I save my green papers of false power for rainier days. So I brought the family back to the woods! It's quieter than NYC, cleaner and I lived up here for years.

And the nearest Starbucks is a half an hour away, so it's a fantastic excuse to not get some for the gf

Working in the entertainment industry, I have the occasion to rub shoulders with some very famous and very wealthy people.

In a working environment we can communicate and work for a common goal but socially....

I don't even exist.

That's a broad generalization, cause I have partied with some big stars but usually the classes are separated by money, social status and family connections.

And they have people with guns, hired to keep the peons away.

The real upper classes; we can't even know who they are. They are insulated on their private islands, Hampton estates and penthouses.
Their status transcends money. Money is like air to them. They are contemporary royalty.

originally posted by: olaru12
Working in the entertainment industry, I have the occasion to rub shoulders with some very famous and very wealthy people.

In a working environment we can communicate and work for a common goal but socially....

I don't even exist.

That's a broad generalization, cause I have partied with some big stars but usually the classes are separated by money, social status and family connections.

And they have people with guns, hired to keep the peons away.

The real upper classes; we can't even know who they are. They are insulated on their private islands, Hampton estates and penthouses.
Their status transcends money. Money is like air to them. They are contemporary royalty.

I agree that the real upper class people (uber billionaires) aren't known to the rest of us in any meaningful way. We don't have contact with them. We don't see them. We don't even know who they are (except for a very few of them such as the Sultan of Brunei and QE II). They likely have no more awareness of what our (the other 99%) lives are like than we have an awareness of what the lives of people living in the slums of Calcutta are like. They may think they know and we may think we know but we don't really know.

Earlier tonite my husband and I watched a Christmas parade, from near the laundromat I used to wash clothes at... 2 hrs later back at home, I watched the wash cycle in our washer, feeling very fortunate and content indeed.

Vastly disconnected. Most of my work came from rich people back in NY, and I am not talking about the rich that most peons think are rich, having a few million in the bank. People that are building a 4 million dollar house without a loan, and it's just another vacation house.

A vast majority would not even acknowledge your existance unless they had to discuss something about the job. A few were decent people, but they were all self made, not golden spoonfed "old money".

They had chaufferrs and butlers, who were also armed guards. Best case scenario working for them, is when they took our advice and went on vacation so we could just do our job without security all over the damn place.