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What does the social power heirarchy in the United States look like? What are the different classes? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 week ago by DarkBluemetal@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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[–] Fandangalo@lemmy.world 25 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

From a lay person’s perspective living here my whole life:

I grew up middle class. My parents made like $60k combined in the 90s/00s.
I grew up around lots of different classes.
I lived in the New England and Southern Belt areas.

One extreme, poverty:

Many of my friends lived in public housing. This means smaller apartments and usually shadier folks.
People try to pitch you on schemes or odd jobs.
A lot of my friends had single mothers.
I found out later that several dated drug dealers.
I’ve had many people die from overdose (heroin, fent).
In south and north, the poorer you are, the more your ethnic accent comes out (southern slang & Boston southie).
Many smoke or eat poorly. Eating is usually because of material circumstances.
A lot of people are giving in terms of money or time. They’ll rib you about it, but they’ll help you.

Other extreme, wealth:

I work in tech. I’ve been successful and have hung out with pretty wealthy people, certainly much wealthier than me.
They often live somewhere lavish, like a lake house, expensive apartment, or a family house.
Most have some generational wealth. Some had successful parents. Others come from linages.
Many have no awareness of how difficult things can be on the poor side. They lack lived experience.
Most are kind, and self aware of their wealth.
However, it feels like many have a “rules don’t apply” mindset.
Tend to have worse empathy for the poor.
Tend to have worse manners, but I wouldn’t say they are spoiled.
More giving to their friends, less giving or trusting of strangers.
Many are good at managing optics & image. I’ve heard a lot of stories about how home lives were too faced, like everyone saw the good side, but there was some darker edge beneath the surface.
Older rich people seem to be the least empathetic. Younger rich people seem better.

It’s not really possible to capture what it’s like to live. Homelessness is a real problem and a worse version of poverty. The most sociopathic people I’ve known have been ultra wealthy. This is anecdotal.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

many have a “rules don’t apply” mindset

Because in large part, the rules do not apply to the wealthy, but there's another bit. And maybe it's the same thing?

I took a couple of psychology classes in 1991 or so, and this was studied thing back then. When people acquire wealth and influence, the "rules don't apply to me" mindset kicks in.

I have no wealth, not even employed ATM, but I have a bit of that mindset from being a middle-aged white guy. I understood the notion of privilege long before the word was bandied about. Remember seeing black kids getting hammered in court while I waited my turn, thinking, "Thank god I'm not black." I got a slap on the wrist.

Gaining some grey in my beard really changed things. I drive a beat-ass 20-yo pickup. When I was in my 20s, I was pulled over every time I left the house in my jalopy. Not now, not anymore.

I break rules and laws all the time. Super minor stuff, but I have no worry of getting in trouble because of my status. But here's the thing, I'm not consciously thinking about it. I have a beer in a coozy everywhere I go. No idea if that's legal, don't care. LOL, had a Karen come up on me, very nicely, "You should know it's not legal to have an open container at the park." "Oh? Didn't know that. Thanks." Sip. She was disgusted. :)

If you asked me about a risky thing I was doing, I'd say, "Meh, not going to get in real trouble for it." Rich people are doing the same exact thing. They're not actively conscious of what they're doing. I'm not actively calculating, "I'm an old white guy, I'm good." Does that make sense?

Dated a beautiful woman a few years back. She'd often push the envelope of what I was worried about getting in trouble for. Again, nothing crazy, stuff like, "We might get in a spot of trouble for being here." She had no worries. Who hassles a beautiful woman? She carried her own armor.

Anyway, I'm sure to get push back from the younger crowd about saying such things. Seems I always do, but I think everyone should read this article. Really made it click with me that us olds, GenX anyway, really were different in our youth.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/why-teenagers-aren-t-what-they-used-to-be