3 ms·
> I honestly think the "middle class" idea is just a fallacy. One definition I found reasonable was that it it "starts" with those that can meet their basic ne
by throw0101a 1y ago
> I honestly think the "middle class" idea is just a fallacy.
One definition I found reasonable was that it it "starts" with those that can meet their basic necessities (housing, food, transportation, healthcare) and still have funds left over for discretionary spending:
* https://ofdollarsanddata.com/the-biggest-lie-in-personal-finance/ https://ofdollarsanddata.com/the-biggest-lie-in-personal-fin...
Where it "ends" at top-end is perhaps more arbitrary (not Top 10%? 20%? 1%?).
- bee_rider 1y agoI don’t like this definition as much because it includes most people who are living paycheck-to-paycheck with minimal leisure expenditure, right? Like if you by groceries, rent an apartment, have a bus pass, qualify for Medicare, and you have a Netflix account or get fast food (discretionary spending), then you seem to be middle class by this definition. Is that right? Maybe Medicare bumps you out. But ok, you can get the cheapest marketplace plan. I mean, to be below middle class by this definition your expenses have to exactly match your revenue, or you are living beyond your means. So other than some tiny slice (in some perimeter vs area sense) of the populace, being working class seems to be definitionally unsustainable.
- throw0101a 1y ago> […] then you seem to be middle class by this definition. Is that right? Middle-class is a spectrum like being "rich" is.
- bee_rider 1y agoIt is a definition so I can’t say it is wrong, but a spectrum that includes everyone who is not either actively in the process of running out of money, or able to quit working and become a capitalist, does not seem super useful to me.