Class Commentary Commentary Commentary

When speaking of a topic broached by Yvain, it is fitting to steelman some ideas.

"They mostly just throw parties - but not interesting parties, because that would imply they have something to prove, which they don't."

"but not awesome mansions they designed themselves with some kind of amazing gaming room or something, because that would imply they have something to prove, which they don't."

"because eating good food would imply these people have something to prove, which they don't."

"The true upper classes don't care for it, because getting an education would imply they have something to prove, which they don't"

"the upper class doesn't worry about status because that would imply they have something to prove, which they don't."

Good joke, yes? 

Naively, upper class habits should be better than lower class habits. It turns out this is largely the case, except: 

How would you truly behave if you didn't have to prove that you have nothing to prove? 

They might be better habits but that doesn't mean they're good habits. I would throw the most interesting parties I could think up, for example. I would be happy with half a dozen doctorates as long as I didn't have to go anywhere near a university. I regret having no time to study geology. I already eat in the same way I would eat were I the crustiest crust. It's not bland, it's comically delicious. Makes a mockery of its competitors. If being upper class means giving these things up, I'ma go ahead and notice that being upper class is too expensive. Negative ROI, haha oops. 

"He says...a lot of things, really. Sometimes it's hard to know whether to take him seriously."

The point of thinking about class: to recognize when you're making a sacrifice for your class, and then stop. Especially with the rigid caste-like American system, which can detect poseurs at 100 paces. You're not moving up regardless of what you do, so chill. Upadana is a bad habit, and you can just stop. Build a house that's comfortable and not pointlessly expensive, which is a fun place for children to grow up and isn't overly delicate, rather than worrying about how your 'friends' will see the choices.

"Anyone imagining that just any sort of flowers can be presented in the front of a house without status jeopardy would be wrong. Upper-middle-class flowers are rhododendrons, tiger lilies, amaryllis, columbine, clematis, and roses, except for bright-red ones."

Fire up your imagination and vividly picture a person who genuinely changes their opinion of your based on the flowers in your yard. Are they really that poor a judge of character? I understand it's often not well developed but... flowers? Come on.

Perhaps, imagine instead a person who can see who you are just fine, but pretends to care about flowers because they have none of their own business to mind.

If you lose such an acquaintance, is in fact anything lost? When you raise the esteem of such a person, you only degrade yourself.