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Wealth Divide: 29 Double Standards For The Rich And Poor
In a world where the wealth gap is widening in the global population, people are becoming increasingly divided by income. According to Statista, in the third quarter of 2023, 66.6% of the total wealth in the United States was owned by the top 10% of earners. The lowest 50% of earners only held 2.6% of the total wealth.
And it all comes down to little things. What if refusing to clean your own house speaks volumes, but very differently depending on the dime you make? People on r/AskReddit taught us a valuable lesson on income inequality. When someone asked, “What’s classy if you’re rich but trashy if you’re poor?” it was destined to resonate with many people out there.
The lifestyle of the rich and famous seems to be so easygoing. Many people think that when you are rich like this, you can have an old car and be cool—humble but rich. Controversially, being poor with an old car won't make you look fancy.
So, the answers started flooding in, like “an old car being the most expensive thing you own” and “having a lawyer’s business card in your pocket.” We picked some of the most illuminating ones to reflect on down below.
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#1
Being Weird
If you are weird and rich people just call you eccentric, but if you are weird and poor people call you crazy.
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#5
Being On A First Name Basis With A Judge
Deleted user replied:
"Hey Judith, how's it going?"
"You're an idiot."
#6
Having A Lawyer's Business Card
Deleted user replied:
"God this is so accurate. When someone I know to be poor mentions having a lawyer, I immediately wonder just how deep of hole they're in."
#7
Having Many Pets
BourbonFiber replied:
"The only difference between 'cat hoarder' and 'animal rescuer' is budget."
#8
Not Cleaning Your Own House
adudeguyman replied:
"I can afford to have someone clean my house but I can't have anyone do it because of my clutter."
#10
Having Fake Teeth
I see so many celebrities with those fake implants that are going to destroy their jaw bones in a decade, but have a legitimate dental problem that results in missing teeth and you can't even get a job anymore, oh and dental insurance doesn't usually cover it either because it's considered cosmetic. Like getting to chew your food is somehow a style choice.
Classy Or Trashy? The Question That Sparked A Social Media Debate
Chances are, you have seen this “Classy If You’re Rich, Trashy If You’re Poor” question surfing around the internet before. It turns out that the question, which basically points out the troubling reality of income inequality, has been going viral on and off for the past five years, giving us a lot to think about.
On September 25, 2015, “What’s considered trashy if you’re poor, but classy if you’re rich?” was first posted to r/AskReddit by user u/GreenAndPride. Know Your Meme reports that the post gained over 13K points before it was archived.
2016, on June 5, the same question was posted to Reddit and Twitter again. It gained 10K points, 24K retweets, and 14K likes on both platforms.
According to Know Your Meme, some top answers included “having someone else raise your kids,” “day drinking,” “moving to a foreign country,” and “multiple cars in front of your house.”
In July 2020, the question went viral again after Twitter user Ana Samways posted it on the platform. The top replies included “speaking two languages” and “marrying a second cousin.” The topic is still being discussed on Yahoo! News in 2023.
#11
Eating Fast Food
Rich guy buys fast food: "He's just like us!" Poor guy buys fast food: "He should really make better choices."
#12
Having A Wedding In Your Yard
A911owner replied:
"I used to drive charter buses and one time I had to provide transportation for the wedding of the daughter of a billionaire. When we arrived at the wedding venue, I thought we were at a country club. It was their house..."
#13
Leisure Spending
Biggest thing is leisure spending, imo. Somehow a billionaire wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars on stuff she doesn’t need and will use once is considered cool, but a poor person saving up and buying a nice purse or bottle of booze is seen as wasteful.
#16
Having A Barren House
If you're rich, it's called minimalism. If you're poor, it's not being able to afford furniture.
#17
Being Really Into Wine
melodyze replied:
"Are you telling me I can't pull off calling myself a sommelier when I'm downing my franzia in a solo cup?"
#19
Living At A Hotel
jackneefus replied:
"Now that is a good one. I have known people in both categories."
#20
Walking Around In A Bathrobe
ScruffleMcDufflebag replied:
"The Dude is pretty fancy though.
Edit: I spent my evening watching The Big Lebowski because of the popularity of my reply. It was a good night."
What Is Considered Rich Today?
Being “rich” today often relates to having significantly more wealth or financial resources than the average person, but the specific threshold varies based on location, lifestyle, and personal perspectives. Hence, there is no definitive answer to what is considered a rich life, as different people may perceive the definition of “rich” and perspectives of wealth differently.
However, according to statistics from 2019, rich people are those who earn an annual income of $500,000 or more. For 2021, you’re in the top 1% if you earn $819,324 or more each year. The top 5% of income earners make $335,891 per year.
#21
Avoiding Taxes
jesuschin said:
"Trying to avoid paying taxes."
luckyhunterdude replied:
"Knowing how to use the tax breaks is always classy."
#22
Having A Big-Screen TV
I’ve had to do home visits with people often and they ALWAYS get so mad that these poor families would have one.
#23
Cheese As A Meal
ImAchickenHawk replied:
"A handful of shredded bright orange cheddar at 2 AM isnt classy?"
#24
Making Your Own Booze
Drunkpennywise replied:
"If there is an apocalypse, the person who can make liquor will be kept alive."
#25
Having Multiple Kids With Multiple Partners
Suesuzysue replied:
"Came here to say this one."
#26
Going To The Horse Races
If you’ve ever been to the track on a Tuesday afternoon you know it ain’t a pretty sight. But that’s not the picture NBC paints at the Kentucky Derby.
#27
Asking For Money
When you're poor it's begging, when you're rich, it's a fundraiser.
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