Author Topic: The Triple Package  (Read 2080 times)

Acipenser

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The Triple Package
« on: August 31, 2014, 06:37:38 PM »
By Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld. 

Book Subtitle: How three unlikely traits explain the rise and fall of cultural groups in America

1.   from the inside dust jacket..."America today spreads a message of immediate gratification, living for the moment. But all of America's most successful groups cultivate heightened discipline and impulse control."

2. "Americans are taught that self-esteem--feeling good about yourself--is the key to a successful life. But in all of America's most successful groups, people tend to feel insecure, inadequate, that they have to prove themselves."

3.  "Americans are taught that no group is superior to another on any respect.  But remarkably, all of America's most successful groups believe (even if they don't say so aloud) that they're exceptional, chosen, superior in some way."

As I'm reading, I see strong parallels to the Mustachian community.

If I may play amateur sociologist, Mr. Money Mustache has created, or recognized and nurtured, a cultural group that displays some of those traits. Insecure about their finances, needing to prove their badassity, exhibiting impulse control, and feeling a bit smug about having seen the light...kinda fits, eh?

Well, anyway, I haven't finished yet, but I thought others might be interested in it, since I see a lot of rags to riches books recommended here.

Anyone here read it?

dragoncar

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Re: The Triple Package
« Reply #1 on: September 04, 2014, 04:46:44 PM »
How do they define "successful group"?

Acipenser

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Re: The Triple Package
« Reply #2 on: September 04, 2014, 08:19:28 PM »
They define it conventionally: wealth, occupational status, test scores, etc...

There is a lot of discussion of the meaning of success in the book. The groups they studied are eager to obtain the outward signs and tokens of success (because they feel insecure, have a chip on their shoulder, have something to prove, etc.), so the authors focus on those conventional indicators. Later in the book they look at the psychological costs of striving to achieve that conventional success.

Not finished reading yet, but so far it has been an interesting read.