Alright who was taking shots here? Seriously? Because quite a few of us said we didn't think the things the OP brought up were that important? Why get worked up over it?
And I've been on both sides of it as well. I prefer the middle ground. I still like my Jaliscos!
I'm so 
sick of the reverse class discrimination that is allowed to go unchecked in life and in here on MDC. Why is it not ok (and i agree it's not) to take shots at someone for being poor, but seemingly open season of someone who is rich?
i grew up in two very conflicted worlds, my normal life 8-9 months a year was anywhere from lower working class to down and out poor. i have, as a child, dumpster dived, begged on the street, slept on the ride of the road and actually known what it was like to be "starving" a word that is so misused usually it sickens me. Then at random times in my life i was plucked out of that life by very wealthy relatives and spent time traveling the world, vacationing on private yachts, museum level art buying trips and constant exposure to fine theater and formal dinning in NYC and abroad. I am now on my own and really pretty smack dab in the middle, the rich relatives are gone and so are the dumpsters. So i feel particularly well situated to address this. One of the most confusing things about my upbringing was listening to, from a very young age, both sets of people talk trash about the other. i felt like i had to lie constantly to both groups in order not to be unfairly judged and cast out. If anything i actually got this worse from my "real" life about my "rich" life. So if i sound like a have a chip on my shoulder, I do.
a few truths:
- Being poor and being rich ARE different, anyone who says they aren't and that the money you have does not mean anything is full of it. maybe it shouldn't and it doesn't in most ways that are really meaningful, but they are different.
- A persons responsibility and ability to being a good human does not differ at all no matter what the situation, ever.
- Neither "class" is more entitled to anything and both ends of the spectrum are equally guilty of thinking they are, just in different ways.
- Judging someone or pigeon-holing them based solely on the money they have is completely out of line, this goes for every person on the finical spectrum equally.
- There are life skills that serve everyone and you never know when you are going to need them, you would do good to teach your kids them.
- There are also life skills that you are way more likely to come across needing when you are in i high income bracket or enveloped with those that are. i personally think everyone would be enriched to learn these too, but at a bear minimum, those that know that are likely to come up in their kids life are smart to be asking the questions and wanting to give them the tools.
- You never know when you are going to be trust into another financial class(higher or lower), whether thru your own career success/ failure, marriage/divorce or a job role. so the only question is how prepared for life do you want to be and how far down on your priorities to you have time to teach, you can't know everything of course.
now that have ranted, i will list a fe things that i was glad i was taught and came in handy when dealing with upper class experiences, since that is what the OP asked. (many of these things are like i said above, handy for everyone)
- Comfort in formal social situations, formal eating, greeting folks.
- A broad open mind about food is helpful, how to politely not eat something on your plate is a good back up!
- As a child it was good that i was shown the fun in formal situations, how to be entertaining to myself and the adults while not "crashing the party"
- Hosting. it is a lost art and an art to be sure! i love hosting in large part because it was something i learned at the knee of someone else who love it. (I'm an military wife now I'm getting to use this in a whole new way!)
- How to invest, save and spend wisely, no matter how much you have to spend.
- How to protect yourself from those that would use you for your money, without getting bitter or paranoid about the world.
- The joy and social responsibility of charity and that time is money and to give both if you can
- and of course , maybe most importantly, every truth that is on the list above!
you can be all pissed at this post and i reality dont give a rats ass. i really feel like this is the truth that does not get spoken often enough. if you feel like you have a problem with me about this, then the problem is within yourself. i am a kind loving open minded woman. i make no insinuation that i am better or worse than anyone because of their life, class or station. We became good or bad folks based on how we treat each other and the way we better or drain the world.
Yes! That's what I was thinking, too. Those poor discriminated against rich people! So unfair! But I don't think anyone here is down on anyone for having money. I am certain that there are a whole world of people with money out there who are normal down to earth folks with all the same fears and desires that the rest of us have and who would never think to judge someone poorly because they choose the wrong wine or don't know how to ski or golf or whatever. There are probably also perfectly wonderful people who really enjoy knowing a lot about wine and would like nothing more than to pick out some wine for their friend who wasn't raised to know anything about wine. I think it is odd to want to raise one's children to be able to hang out with people who would look down on people who couldn't do those things. Who would want to hang out with those people? Adorkable, I am sure you're bristling at that, but really, is it true that your rich family are the people I'm talking about? Or are they people who know which fork to use but don't think that's what's truly important in life?
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