I'm finding it hard to determine what class I'd consider myself to be in. I'm not at the bottom and equally not at the top. Having read through several sites about the UK class system I feel I take bits from each class but I'm not firmly set into any.
Well that went straight over my head data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
So we were in agreement, there is no “they”?
I’d like to make it real and not talk about hypothetical whataboutery.
You know, similar age, people go to school, or the army and they make friends. In my view the argument would be stronger if there was segregation instead of integration.
You just never know who the person is, or what they do or where they come from or where they are going etc. That is why I find it so fascinating to meet people and talk to people I meet.
I guess you could call it a social housing town house.
It's the content of a person's character that matters not the class from which they come. Terrible people in all classes and brilliant ones as well.
The problem we face as a nation is that we are divided and how we bridge those divides is the challenge. We can't go on having huge disparities in wealth, for that path leads to revolutions in the end.
We’re all human after all and we can tend to stamp too many opinions rather than face reality ie what we’d ‘like’ to see (and our place in society) as opposed to what is actually there in front of us.
There are far too many factors which influence class. Having money (and a fair amount of it) still does not help you transcend beyond a certain class without you also possessing many other of those social requirements ‘for’ those perceived ‘higher’ classes. Without those it’s pointless believing progression is possible past middle class; purely on wealth grounds. I find it hard to believe anyone who actually went to a private school would think otherwise. If you haven’t been then you’re generalising a view from your class ‘bubble’ about another; just as those in classes above you do the same to you. As Isaac Asimov said, ’Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in’.
‘All’ humans show off, in some way or another, just as all creatures do; to attract mates, garner respect etc. Perceived ‘English’ lower classes ‘shout’ about it more than perceived higher classes. There are always exceptions, of course, but those ‘true’ (perceived) higher classes talk about money very little (it is vulgar)...you may guess at wealth from their posessions (they may even be ‘shouty’ possessions) but it’s not ‘done’ to talk about it. Its simply assumed, by being there in the first place, that you ‘have’ money. I’d not read into any of the ‘social show’ drivel on tv; it is not indicative of the broader classes (higher or lower) but simply plays to, and reinforces, our fascinations and stereotypes about those different from ourselves...akin to why we all like to snoop on others houses etc!
We all have the capacity to be bigoted and to stereotype that which we do not know. The ‘poor’ look down on ‘toffs’ and ‘toffs’ are taught (at least when I was at school) to believe they are better. The slim down on the fat, the Fashion-conscious down on those less unfortunate, the old down on the young, the clever down on the stupid, the beautiful down on the ugly, everyone on gingers (though maybe even that ‘disease’ is acceptable since Sheeran!), Apple down on Android...ad infinitum. We can’t help but compare ourselves into classes about everything! It makes us feel better to think we’re better than at least someone else. Two Ronnies sketch anyone?
Someone, very truthfully on here, stated that we’re the products of our education and upbringing and view the world accordingly at that point. That’s true. However its ‘only’ those that leave our social bubbles (and ‘many’ do not) that we actually realise that many toffs are just as friendly as many poor, and vice-versa. Its only people, who stay in their respective bubbles, that go on being biggots. Theres evil in all classes and saints in all too.
Class is alive and well and networks exist in all professions and all areas of society. I doubt things will significantly change for a very, very long time....if ever. When you get down to brass tacks we’re all quite similar to each other...we just may have a different outlook or a bigger bank balance but we all ‘generally’ want the same things in a broad sense. We should all just stop worrying about it....nobody really cares imho. As long as you feel content what does it matter what class you are in, or perceived to be in?
Davedata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
I like that a lot data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
One correction though, Apple doesn’t look down on Android, it doesn’t have to, it is factually better data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
But yes, point made and parallel drawn nicely data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Hmm tricky one for me.
My background is defiantly working class, but my lifestyle these days is more upper middle. I picked working class though. I'm happier in a pub with a group of trade lads having a sesh then sat 'doing lunch' with people talking horses and dogs and where little Tarquin will go to school.
Just one? data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7 The "Two Ronnies Sketch" grated with me as it wasn't data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
One correction from me that was meant to say data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7 I can't stand the two Ronnies, I appreciate/respect what they've done, but can't stand them. They'll get ignored by my BG correction filter data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Well that's alright because they weren't The Two Ronnies then, they were just two of several comedians on "The Frost Report". data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7And yes, I'm in pedant mood data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7