article on aristocracy vs professionals in US

[Caroline PF]

I found this article, and thought it was weirdly appropriate for the MMM world.

https://benjaminstudebaker.com/2018/01/19/an-american-class-divide-the-aristocrats-v-the-professionals/

To summarize, he describes three classes in the US: the working class, the professional class, and the aristocracy. I thought I knew where he was going, with the aristocracy being moneyed and powerful. But instead he describes the aristocracy as the following:

This is because the aristocrats have two distinguishing features:

• They are so economically secure that they can try and fail at careers without seriously worrying about their long-term security.
• They are more concerned with living a life that is in accordance with their beliefs about what kind of life is worth living than they are with the pursuit of wealth or status.

I think he nailed mustachians. We may start as working class or professional, but we're aristocrats at the core, and try to get to #1 asap, so that we can better work towards #2.

What do you think?

[EscapeVelocity2020]

Pretty neat find.  Can't say that I fully agree since it comes off as an opinion piece (not quite like proletariats and Marxism, or a true reflection of modern capitalism the likes of what I listen to on EconTalk.org, etc.) but the author is honest about being an inquisitive, passionate student.

[bacchi]

It’s why so many of them [professionals] want to retire or semi-retire as young as possible (continuing in their professions but drastically cutting their hours below industry norms).

Even many Mustachians would continue working in their fields if they had a lot more control over their work setting.

This reminds me of another political theory. Urban elites, like academics, are hated so much because of jealousy. The academics can do what the like while the rest of the working class does some shitty, soulless, job making (probably) less money.

[Leisured]

Thank you for the link, Caroline PF. To clarify; upper class people in the US are known as patricians, after ancient Republican Rome. The Kennedy clan are quintessential patricians.

[talltexan]

I've worked in both the academic and the private sector. The academic jobs are thought to be easy by non-academics. In reality, they are  much more difficult.

[RetiredAt63]

I've worked in both the academic and the private sector. The academic jobs are thought to be easy by non-academics. In reality, they are  much more difficult.

Oh, yes. 

And I know university professors who took major pay cuts to teach instead of work in industry.

[scottish]

I have a friend who's an assistant professor.   She works about as hard as I do at crunch time.   Except crunch time never ends in her world.

Maybe she'll slow down a bit once she has tenure....

[RetiredAt63]

I have a friend who's an assistant professor.   She works about as hard as I do at crunch time.   Except crunch time never ends in her world.

Maybe she'll slow down a bit once she has tenure....

When I was teaching CEGEP (and had tenure) my contract said 37.5 hours/week.  My usual was 50-60, and at exam time it was 70+.

We had lots of specialists come in to various departments to teach a course in their specialty.  We could see their thinking - "this should be a snap, piece of cake, easy money".  Almost all never came back after one semester.  And for those of you who don't like public speaking - in a sense that is what teaching is, you are talking to a group week after week after week.  You have to be animated so that their interest is engaged, not easy these days when students are used to paying attention in small chunks of time.

[Leisured]

Returning to the points raised by the OP.

The aristocracy in the US, strictly the patrician class, follows a way of life described by Byron Tully in his book 'The Old Money Guide'. Some quotes:

On Extravagance: 'Peacock today, feather duster tomorrow'. I have heard a version of that in Australian politics: 'Rooster today, feather duster tomorrow.'

Doing and Being rather than Spending and Having.

Be more. Seem less.

'A nice car is nice. A nice bank account is nicer'. I would change the last sentence to: 'A nice investment portfolio is nicer'.

[bwall]

Good article. Thanks for sharing.

I would say that mustachians could fit into the description of aristocrats, but this need not be the case. I think that for the vast majority, they are professionals and fit this description provided:

"They are high status and high paying, but not especially high satisfaction, and on some level most of the professionals know this. It’s why so many of them want to retire or semi-retire as young as possible "

I posted the question awhile ago; 'why do billionaires work?'. I got many answers, presumably none with first hand knowledge, and the most logical answer seemed to be 'because they enjoy it'. Self-actualized aristocrats.

[FIRE Artist]

This articles brings to mind this quote:


I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.
John Adams
US diplomat & politician (1735 - 1826)