There's not a Boomer out there who doesn't know and love the Keeping Up with the Joneses game. Maybe you jumped right on into it and started buying things like a speedboat and then a personal aircraft. Maybe you loved to get as far from that as possible. In my case, the Joneses were rabid fundamentalists with a harpie of a wife who constantly spewed in any direction, "That's not very Christian of you."
There was no concern about keeping up with the Joneses since, in the view of the most who knew her, no-one wanted to go where they were going.
Now Millennials have discovered the phenomenon since you will know nothing of your neighbor's wealth if he's not wearing it. This is identified as a matter of classes but there's no class whatever in conspicuous consumption.
Welcome to the New World version of Keeping Up with the Joneses. (The Guardian: Outclassed: how your neighbor’s income might affect your happiness Alissa Quart Alissa Quart)
The article is there for your edification but, frankly, we really don't care if she's happy. If we want happy news, we will look on Nickelodeon for Bozo the Clown.
“With respect to income and happiness, what matters most is how much income a person has relative to his or her income comparison group,” the two scholars wrote.
- Guardian
Well, hit me in the head with a brick, huh? Thanks for that.
There's nothing in the article about happiness since the focus is money and not having enough. They're working in impossible locations (e.g. San Francisco Bay area, etc) and they make high-ticket salaries but they're not enough.
The Rockhouse gingerly sniffs the air and, yep, this isn't a class problem, this is a bubble problem.
Enjoy the ride since it sure was a gas the last time.
When your job requires your physical presence, you're screwed since rents / costs rise faster than your salary. The telecommuter has an obvious move ... go to a bunghole like Oklahoma where land is inevitably much cheaper than California and other costs are likely lower as well. Telecommute from there and keep your high-ticket California job.
Buffy: but I won't have that cool California stuff
We're really not talking about survival then, are we.
There was no concern about keeping up with the Joneses since, in the view of the most who knew her, no-one wanted to go where they were going.
Now Millennials have discovered the phenomenon since you will know nothing of your neighbor's wealth if he's not wearing it. This is identified as a matter of classes but there's no class whatever in conspicuous consumption.
Welcome to the New World version of Keeping Up with the Joneses. (The Guardian: Outclassed: how your neighbor’s income might affect your happiness Alissa Quart Alissa Quart)
The article is there for your edification but, frankly, we really don't care if she's happy. If we want happy news, we will look on Nickelodeon for Bozo the Clown.
“With respect to income and happiness, what matters most is how much income a person has relative to his or her income comparison group,” the two scholars wrote.
- Guardian
Well, hit me in the head with a brick, huh? Thanks for that.
There's nothing in the article about happiness since the focus is money and not having enough. They're working in impossible locations (e.g. San Francisco Bay area, etc) and they make high-ticket salaries but they're not enough.
The Rockhouse gingerly sniffs the air and, yep, this isn't a class problem, this is a bubble problem.
Enjoy the ride since it sure was a gas the last time.
When your job requires your physical presence, you're screwed since rents / costs rise faster than your salary. The telecommuter has an obvious move ... go to a bunghole like Oklahoma where land is inevitably much cheaper than California and other costs are likely lower as well. Telecommute from there and keep your high-ticket California job.
Buffy: but I won't have that cool California stuff
We're really not talking about survival then, are we.
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