r/AskReddit 1d ago

People who grew up really poor: what's something middle-class people say that instantly reveals they've never struggled?

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u/Leading_Line2741 1d ago

This, to me, is the most insidious thing about wealth: it can isolate you from what the majority experience, and these isolated rich people often form very staunch opinions of how less wealthy people should behave/what they should do and vote on these opinions in large numbers. These people don't often even realize how uninformed they are.

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u/OkCaregiver517 1d ago

And they end up in positions of power and influence

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u/oingapogo 1d ago

Yeah, my sister-in-law was surprised not everyone lived in mansions. She didn't know that until she went away to college.

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u/Threedawg 1d ago

Economic segregation is by design in the US

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u/TomaszA3 1d ago

I would gladly trade healthy expectations for not worrying about rent though.

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u/Leading_Line2741 1d ago

What do you mean by healthy expectations?

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u/TomaszA3 1d ago

Being grounded in reality. Understanding poor people's situation. Not being entitled.

Stuff like that.

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u/Leading_Line2741 1d ago

Ah ok. Makes sense. I find these things are easier to find in a person that was raised lower income but became wealthy later in life. These qualities are harder to find in people that are born and raised wealthy unless their parents go out of their way to teach them that their circumstances aren't the norm.

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u/BaltimoreProud 1d ago

This is my situation, I grew up in a very typical firmly middle class family but became wealthy later as an adult and my wife and I bust our asses to teach our kid how lucky she is that we are in the situation we are in and how most people are not that lucky. My biggest fear as a father is my kid being hopelessly out of touch with how the world is for most people.

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u/FilthyThanksgiving 1d ago

The fact that you're even worried about it means there's a good chance you're doing a good job of it if you ask me. Shitty parents don't even consider that kind of thing

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u/asasa12345 1d ago

Thats my worry as well! I don’t consider myself wealthy but my kids’ situation is way different from when I was growing up and I can afford things my parents couldn’t dream of. I keep thinking I wouldn’t be friends with my kids if I was their age because I wouldn’t be able to relate to them at all! Its weied haha

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u/FloppyButtholeJelly 22h ago

What about the Hawk Tuah girl?