Class Mobility And Aspiration

goofyfish

goofyfish

Analog By Birth, Digital By Design
Valued Senior Member
Does being successful in life necessarily mean being upwardly mobile class-wise?

You can have a perfectly acceptable standard of life without being rich, but some people seem determined to castigate those who want to have jobs that are seen as “blue collar” while others castigate people for trying to improve their lot beyond what certain factions would like.

It appears that the government has the idea that the best way to help the poorest people is to encourage them to be more “middle class” - trying to get everyone to go to college, for example, so they can be lawyers and doctors. But what’s wrong with being a builder or a bus driver or whatever? Why do we undermine the idea of people being successful in their own terms, not in terms of what other people think they should want? Do we reward the wrong thing in our society - power and position, rather than sacrifice and effort?

Peace.
 
I think that the government is likely trying to get a better-educated, or at least a better-indoctrinated people. Let's face it, goof, rebellion never comes from the rich and comfortable.

I think that there is a push to get people who don't want to live their lives doing hard, physical thankless labor out of being in a situation where that is your only choice.
 
I understand completely, goofyfish.

I spent the last 20 years of my life chasing the almighty dollar. I was never happy. I now work for cheap. I barely make enough to pay bills. Guess what? I am happier & more content than I have ever been.

Just goes to prove, some people don't need to be rich to be happy.:cool:
 
Originally posted by ratbat
I understand completely, goofyfish.

I spent the last 20 years of my life chasing the almighty dollar. I was never happy. I now work for cheap. I barely make enough to pay bills. Guess what? I am happier & more content than I have ever been.

Just goes to prove, some people don't need to be rich to be happy.:cool:
Click to expand...

So what are you doing now comparing to what you were doing before? Why are you happier? Lower wage doesn't translate to happiness either.

I am not exactly chasing the dollar, but my job which i enjoy happens to pay pretty well.
 
Originally posted by goofyfish
You can have a perfectly acceptable standard of life without being rich, but some people seem determined to castigate those who want to have jobs that are seen as “blue collar” while others castigate people for trying to improve their lot beyond what certain factions would like.

It appears that the government has the idea that the best way to help the poorest people is to encourage them to be more “middle class” - trying to get everyone to go to college, for example, so they can be lawyers and doctors. But what’s wrong with being a builder or a bus driver or whatever? Why do we undermine the idea of people being successful in their own terms, not in terms of what other people think they should want? Do we reward the wrong thing in our society - power and position, rather than sacrifice and effort?
Click to expand...

I don't know what to say. I don't think being middle class is that difficult. I was dirt poor growing up from a bad neighborhood with a lot of bad kids. Now I am middle class with fat biweekly paychecks but I didn't even try very hard to get to where I am.

What is wrong with being a builder or bus driver?

uhhhh..... because it is lame? Duh !!!! Come on. That is so obvious. Anybody can be a bus driver. That is not much of a challenge. Sometimes the best answer is the simplist answer. There is no need to over analyze everything.
 
I think people working as a robots in dead end jobs whether flipping burgers or screwing 10 screws per minute on an assembly line, be happy for 40 years doing the same thing. That is where they go postal.

I flipped hamburgers too, while going to college for a short time. But knowing that it was a short time, I kinda enjoyed the experience and girls...

The name of the game is progress for humans. As long as you are progressing as a person, family or society - and identify with one of those units, then you are happy and content. If you have nothing to offer to yourself, your family or your society in a positive way, then that is the wrong direction....
 
Yeah, but the starting salary for a unionized UAW is like upwards of $70k/year.


Joeman has a point, just because you make less money, it won't make you any happier. The more important thingis to find something you love, and not care what it pays. Some people really like being bus drivers. I imagine it could be really fun. You're sitting, you drive around, pick people up, get them to where they need to go, and chat with your regular passengers. Why is that so bad?
And, really, what about that UAW? I imagine that you could take a good deal of pride in your work every day. I think you could feel a great sense of accomplishment being part of a team that spits out a million cars a year. Every time you see someone driving down the road, you can think "Hell yeah, I made that."

It comes down to a matter of perspective, I think. People seem to love to do different things, and since we all need different things to be done, I think we should be happy with the people who're collecting the trash, who are manning the gas stations, who pilot the busses, and who offer us a means of cheap, safe, and ecologically sound transportation. (It sounds a lot cooler if you phrase things in the positive)
 
The problem is that if you love manning the gas station, you may not love piloting the bus. A lot of people are in jobs that they hate and the percentage is growing. In US, go to the drivers license office you will understand....
 
you know what, its not even the harder u work, the more money youll make, Coz factory workers work damn hard! And its not even the more educated you are, the more money you will get, because the most eduacted people in the big paying jobs. Ie politicians. I think its about playing to money game, if your dedicate dto it, you get it. Other times its by coincidence.
 
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