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There's a sad undercurrent to this, as some redditors respond that they find this depressing. While I understand their plight, I do not understand the sustained

by dwc 15y ago

There's a sad undercurrent to this, as some redditors respond that they find this depressing. While I understand their plight, I do not understand the sustained pessimism for most of the depressed ones. I went to work right out of high school at menial jobs. No college, no big family business. Paycheck-to-paycheck, and any minor emergency like a dead car battery was a financial crisis. I did not "get lucky" on stocks or anything. While getting rich has not been a focus for me, I decided I definitely did NOT like being poor. Lots of small steps, and staying on the lookout for ways to improve matters has led me to not be poor. I'm not rich but I'm in decent shape and moving in the right direction: no debt except the mortage, which will be payed off soonish; some money in savings, stocks, 401k, etc. I'm living at a decent level and should be able to retire in some comfort. No magic. No big windfalls. This is doable by most of those depressed people.

mfieldhouse 15y ago
To sum up the average discussion about jobs and money on reddit: a victim mentality and belief that we live in the hardest time ever to get a job because of events outside of our control.
- laaph 15y ago
  It's easy to get that mentality. I am in a broke period of my life right now. One can easily tell me about how much it is all my fault, but I thought I had enough money to last for two years when I quit my job, I thought I could find a job within six months in the bay area, people could argue that I am generous to a fault and people I have lent and given money to in the past can't or won't help me out now. So it is easy to have some depression when scraping together a few bucks for transit to a job interview becomes one of the harder tasks. It's doubly frustrating when you get on the wrong bus and wind up 45 minutes late to the interview.
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
stevear 15y ago
I am really glad someone else has noticed this and feels the same way. This quote from that thread pissed me off all morning: "If you told the common man any time in history other than the baby boomer generation, that the way to get rich was 'hard work' and 'Budgeting' they would die of laughter." Every day I feel more and more alienated by the victim mentality on Reddit. It seems to be the only tangible by-product of the Occupy Wall Street protests. I don't even know why I visit Reddit anymore.
- kylebrown 15y ago
  I'm not sure why you would find that quote so offensive, but to be fair, the disillusioned youth on Reddit are probably just as sensitive to the "anyone can pull themselves up by their own bootstraps" assertions by smug boomers (like the GP). Such a world-view is increasingly at odds with an economic reality in which income inequality is higher than its been in decades, and growing.
  - astine 15y ago
    High income inequality is not at odds with the ability for folks lift themselves out of poverty or social mobility in general.
    - alex_c 15y ago
      It may not be inherently at odds, no, but I haven't seen any evidence or studies that social mobility is in any way increasing - and it does seem counter-intuitive that social mobility could increase at the same time as income inequality. http://www.economist.com/node/15908469 http://www.economist.com/node/15908469 "How rising inequality affects social mobility is still unclear. Those born since inequality started to rise sharply are only just now becoming adults. However there are some troubling signs according to two papers to be presented at the Tobin Project, an alliance of scholars, this month. Christopher Jencks of Harvard University finds that income inequality has been accompanied by a widening gap in college attendance. Ms Sawhill argues that a rising correlation between income levels, likelihood of marriage and level of education will make society more stagnant."
vbtemp 15y ago
> I decided I definitely did NOT like being poor "Money doesn't buy happiness, but having no money can sure buy a lot of misery." On a related note, it really grinds my gears when I hear well-to-do young adults from middle class families say money doesn't matter when they've never struggled to pay rent or for basic medical care.
- zcid 15y ago
  As someone who struggles for rent and basic medical care, it really grinds my gears listening to someone's victim mentality. I struggle right now because of my poor decisions. I am improving my lot in life through consistently good choices. Sure, life happens, but ultimately, I am in control of my own destiny.
  - alanfalcon 15y ago
    Sometimes when advanced medical care comes into the picture then people really aren't in control of their financial destiny (and life for them and anyone who shares financial responsibility with them can be truly miserable). But I agree with the broad point!
johngalt 15y ago
If you're inspired by success, chances of emulating it are much higher. If you believe that someone else's success takes something from your own, you will walk through life being depressed by every success story.
jacoblyles 15y ago
I blame politics. A lot of young people are emotionally invested in the idea that "the System" is responsible for some people being poor and others being rich. If you acknowledge that some choices are good and others are bad, it challenges the view that wealth is predetermined and that income inequality is caused by fate/bias.
- Klinky 15y ago
  I don't think blaming it all on good choices/bad choices is any more reasonable than blaming it entirely on "The System". They both play a role in where someone will end up.
  - paulhauggis 15y ago
    "I don't think blaming it all on good choices/bad choices is any more reasonable than blaming it entirely on "The System". They both play a role in where someone will end up" I suppose. However, the system will never make you rich. Your good choices will. People tend to put too much blame on "The system" and nobody wants to take personal responsibility.
    - Klinky 15y ago
      Again you're using absolutes. Just because someone complains that "The System" is unfair does not mean they are sitting on their butt doing nothing about it or their current situation. Venting is a common trait & for some it is completely justified. Even making "good choices" your entire life things may still go the wrong way. Sometimes this is life, sometimes this is "The System". Sometimes "bad choices" make you rich as well(drug dealer, ponzi scheme).
    - nooneelse 15y ago
      > "However, the system will never make you rich." Never? What about inheritance and social/family connections into lucrative jobs and investment opportunities? Those parts of 'the system' seem like they contribute the major part to some people's success and wealth. I suppose one could say something like "well, the person made the good choice to take the inheritance or opportunity on the silver platter before them". But that would seem to make the term "good choices" a bit vacuous, imho, as an account of what a person should do to become rich.

by dwc 15y ago

mfieldhouse 15y ago

To sum up the average discussion about jobs and money on reddit: a victim mentality and belief that we live in the hardest time ever to get a job because of events outside of our control.

laaph 15y ago
It's easy to get that mentality. I am in a broke period of my life right now. One can easily tell me about how much it is all my fault, but I thought I had enough money to last for two years when I quit my job, I thought I could find a job within six months in the bay area, people could argue that I am generous to a fault and people I have lent and given money to in the past can't or won't help me out now. So it is easy to have some depression when scraping together a few bucks for transit to a job interview becomes one of the harder tasks. It's doubly frustrating when you get on the wrong bus and wind up 45 minutes late to the interview.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]

stevear 15y ago

I am really glad someone else has noticed this and feels the same way. This quote from that thread pissed me off all morning: "If you told the common man any time in history other than the baby boomer generation, that the way to get rich was 'hard work' and 'Budgeting' they would die of laughter." Every day I feel more and more alienated by the victim mentality on Reddit. It seems to be the only tangible by-product of the Occupy Wall Street protests. I don't even know why I visit Reddit anymore.

kylebrown 15y ago
I'm not sure why you would find that quote so offensive, but to be fair, the disillusioned youth on Reddit are probably just as sensitive to the "anyone can pull themselves up by their own bootstraps" assertions by smug boomers (like the GP). Such a world-view is increasingly at odds with an economic reality in which income inequality is higher than its been in decades, and growing.
- astine 15y ago
  High income inequality is not at odds with the ability for folks lift themselves out of poverty or social mobility in general.
  - alex_c 15y ago
    It may not be inherently at odds, no, but I haven't seen any evidence or studies that social mobility is in any way increasing - and it does seem counter-intuitive that social mobility could increase at the same time as income inequality. http://www.economist.com/node/15908469 http://www.economist.com/node/15908469 "How rising inequality affects social mobility is still unclear. Those born since inequality started to rise sharply are only just now becoming adults. However there are some troubling signs according to two papers to be presented at the Tobin Project, an alliance of scholars, this month. Christopher Jencks of Harvard University finds that income inequality has been accompanied by a widening gap in college attendance. Ms Sawhill argues that a rising correlation between income levels, likelihood of marriage and level of education will make society more stagnant."

vbtemp 15y ago

> I decided I definitely did NOT like being poor "Money doesn't buy happiness, but having no money can sure buy a lot of misery." On a related note, it really grinds my gears when I hear well-to-do young adults from middle class families say money doesn't matter when they've never struggled to pay rent or for basic medical care.

zcid 15y ago
As someone who struggles for rent and basic medical care, it really grinds my gears listening to someone's victim mentality. I struggle right now because of my poor decisions. I am improving my lot in life through consistently good choices. Sure, life happens, but ultimately, I am in control of my own destiny.
- alanfalcon 15y ago
  Sometimes when advanced medical care comes into the picture then people really aren't in control of their financial destiny (and life for them and anyone who shares financial responsibility with them can be truly miserable). But I agree with the broad point!

johngalt 15y ago

If you're inspired by success, chances of emulating it are much higher. If you believe that someone else's success takes something from your own, you will walk through life being depressed by every success story.

jacoblyles 15y ago

I blame politics. A lot of young people are emotionally invested in the idea that "the System" is responsible for some people being poor and others being rich. If you acknowledge that some choices are good and others are bad, it challenges the view that wealth is predetermined and that income inequality is caused by fate/bias.

Klinky 15y ago
I don't think blaming it all on good choices/bad choices is any more reasonable than blaming it entirely on "The System". They both play a role in where someone will end up.
- paulhauggis 15y ago
  "I don't think blaming it all on good choices/bad choices is any more reasonable than blaming it entirely on "The System". They both play a role in where someone will end up" I suppose. However, the system will never make you rich. Your good choices will. People tend to put too much blame on "The system" and nobody wants to take personal responsibility.
  - Klinky 15y ago
    Again you're using absolutes. Just because someone complains that "The System" is unfair does not mean they are sitting on their butt doing nothing about it or their current situation. Venting is a common trait & for some it is completely justified. Even making "good choices" your entire life things may still go the wrong way. Sometimes this is life, sometimes this is "The System". Sometimes "bad choices" make you rich as well(drug dealer, ponzi scheme).
  - nooneelse 15y ago
    > "However, the system will never make you rich." Never? What about inheritance and social/family connections into lucrative jobs and investment opportunities? Those parts of 'the system' seem like they contribute the major part to some people's success and wealth. I suppose one could say something like "well, the person made the good choice to take the inheritance or opportunity on the silver platter before them". But that would seem to make the term "good choices" a bit vacuous, imho, as an account of what a person should do to become rich.