Thread: The middle class is disappearing. Where did it go?

Just a quick late-evening post before I turn in...

I've become a workaholic over the past year, largely due to getting married. That sounds bad. It's not because marriage is a bad thing -- it's not. But getting married gave me a larger sense of responsibility than I ever had - or needed - before.

So I spend a good portion of my evenings and weekends researching so I can do my day job really well. I want to keep improving because I want to be one of the best at what I do.

Anyway, I was flipping through "Details" magazine today. It's not the sort of magazine I usually read, but I read something that struck me. For whatever reason.

Most of us who visit this forum are probably workaholics to some extent. Whether you're a real estate professional trying to make your career work or you work in marketing/virtual assistance trying to keep up with the latest information, we're probably all going well beyond our regular work week. Maybe I'm wrong. But anyway...

It's from an interview with John Updike. I'll just quote it here:

The question was: The middle class is disappearing. Where did it go?

A: ...You get outside the major cities, and you see them in their habitat - mowing their lawns, having their Saturday-night cookouts, and whatever else the middle class does. But it's a stressful world, and increasingly expensive. We were comfortable enough [in the 1950s] not to be preoccupied by work and money, the way my father's generation had been. And the middle class could afford the luxuries of fine living... I think it is no longer - you can no longer just do your job, by the way. Your job is either your - what's the word? - obsession, or you're not good enough.

Updike stated it well "And the middle class could afford the luxuries of fine living..." I think what changed is our definition of self worth went from the internal to the external--"I am what I possess"--and that has become our driving force or obsession. The budhist discovered the trap of "desire" long ago: the more one desires, the more one desires, the more one desires, etc, etc, etc.

I think what changed is our definition of self worth went from the internal to the external--"I am what I possess"--

It is really disturbing when you see the gradual change in values (and measure of self worth) changing from generation to generation.

It seems so many of the younger generations are so purely materialistic they have no connection to themselves.

I fear it will hurt my business down the road...hmmm...maybe I should get out of real estate and into 20 inch wheel sales...

LJRE

I don't think that the middle class is disappearing. The problem that we are seeing is a flood of immigrants - especially illegal immigrants - with very little education that are increasing the number of poverty level (and below) households.

The number of middle class people is about the same - it's the percentage to total population that is shrinking.

Think about it - 20 years ago when I was in college we had 220 million people in the US. During those 20 years the majority of working age Americans starting putting off marriage and children to further their careers. The worker pool even started to dwindle as baby boomers began approaching retirement.

But today we have just under 300 million people in the US. Where did they all come from? That's easy - Mexico and South America.

The older I get the more I realize what's important to me. It's the people in my life that matter the most: family, friends, co-workers, clients, etc.

It's why I love the real estate business. I love meeting new people and I really enjoy the interactions that I have with my prospects and clients.

Well, it's 7:14pm and technically, I'm working...actually, blogging is my "break" from work. I am obsessed.

Me too, i just love meeting people and talking to them. This has realy helped my business too.

they are either moving to the upper class or going the other way

It was a loaded question that is simply not true, every class of people are better off than they were in the past.

Most of these studies at best highlight "real wage increase" but they never factor in the increased buying power that those "real wages" can buy.

Stop believing what people want you to believe and look into it for yourself. Also while your at it, investigate how many hours people worked (also working conditions, child labor etc) prior the 1900's and through the industrial revolution.

Also, do you know why schools are not in session during the summer?

Then tell me how good those good ole days were.

Scott

If you are middle class there are two ways you can go, either you join the upper class when you get enough money to live that way or go to the lower class if you lose your job.