Shame. Like several other cultures, Americans are very judgmental of poor people.
this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2025
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spendy culture in general is disconnected from reality
Must keep up with the Jones.
Who's pretending? Not here! We know we broke
Kinda answered your own question there
I mean, yeah, I have a mortgage that will outlive me, but I still have money coming in.
I think most americans identify with the book cover, and not the book.
Ok, not an exact answer, but... In 2008, John Oliver had a bit that I thought captured the US culture of consumerism. He basically said that many countries could invent or even build an inflatable BBQ - but only Americans would actually buy an inflatable BBQ. Anywho, spending money, independent of whether a person has it, seems to be a cultural phenomenon in the US.
I hate that the concepts of broke and debt even exist. It's all made up.
MSMs propaganda, decades of it, so you wont realize that you are "actually poor" because of the top .05% owners. im simplifying, buts its through various mechanisms, like advertisements, news, politicians.
I owe nothing!
Who said I pretend? I'm effectively broke, between side jobs anyways. But hey, at least I earned a little extra cash doing some bicycle maintenance and other random help for a neighbor today.
Stupidity and the art of flexing.
https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/keep+up+appearances
Sometimes people attack weaknesses. This is a defense mechanism. Also it's better for mental health to focus on what you do have, rather than what you don't. That doesn't mean you're not trying to meet genuine needs. It just means learning what are genuine needs and addressing that, while also noting "I have food and shelter, that's a great thing!" Especially when so many don't.