But OP is talking about superficial interactions. When someone says a person was cold and unfriendly, they aren't talking about an interaction with a close friend. OP means that when she encounters UMC (or MC or UC) people out in the world, on a playground or at a cocktail party or on an airplane. All places you might encounter someone of another class, especially if you live in an urban area. Also, just in general, UC and MC people encounter each other constantly because UC empty a lot of MC people. Some MC might only interact with other MC and UMC people, but no UC people ONLY interact with UC people. They might not think much about the MC people they interact with or consider them peers, but they do interact with them, daily. |
In a world where they own their own successful business (employ others but may still service some clients, especially the wealthier ones) or where they are married to someone high income but continue to work because they like to or because they are more comfortable having an income. |
+1 "Why are UMC people cold and unfriendly?" Fixed it for you, OP: "Why do people make gross generalizations as if they're spouting universal truths?" |
She could be married to an UMC professional? |
Employ, not empty. My autocorrect is out of control. |
Not OP, but your level of defensiveness about this is telling. |
+1. I was raised MC, and learned that being kind and friendly and neighborly made life a little easier. That continues to serve me well. The happiest people I know, regardless of income, seem to live that way, too. |
I wonder what strange bubble some posters here live in where they only interact with their exact SES? That isn’t my experience at all.
I grew up in McLean where our neighborhood comprised of UC - UMC families and same at the schools I attended. In college I knew friends from UC-LMC who were first gen college students. I live in Vienna and I know and am friendly with MC/UMC neighbors and friends and UC/LMC colleagues at work. |
I mean, this basically proves my point. Thank you. |
They are just busy. They have moved away from friends and extended family to take high stress jobs and then they put their kids are in an million activities. |
I feel like a lot of UC/UMC women are constantly hungry and over-caffeinated. Carb consumption works as a social emollient. |
People who need other people often have stronger social networks by necessity. People who give each other rides home from work,
watch each others kids, help each other move, loan a pick up truck, etc. When you don’t have a lot of money, you develop an informal economy where you barter for services. Who do you hear worrying or complaining about childcare, days of school, etc? It’s often UMC moms because they don’t have a network of people to help out. When I was a kid, I didn’t go to extended day. My mom paid a stay at home mom on our street a small amount to walk me to the bus with her own kids each morning. We also lived in a place where the dentist, the woman who cleaned our house, our mechanic, the manager of a local restaurant we frequented - all were parents of kids at my school. I am now in a position that I can pay for a lot of services. I don’t know the women who clean my house. I don’t know where my hairdresser or dentist live. I don’t need to - nor is it considered rude that I don’t know their kids names. I am friendly and connected to my neighbors, my coworkers, parents at my kids school or their activities and sports teams. I am not outgoing with people outside those groups. I like to think I am courteous and polite, but I am not asking your dog’s name or trying to figure out if your grandmother went to high school with my uncle. |
There’s a complete difference between people who grew up UMC and are secure in their positions vs. people who grew up MC and are impressed with themselves that they were able to climb the ladder. It’s very easy to tell the difference and you describe the latter. |
It's telling when people post vast generalizations as if their completely individual experience is universally applicable. Lack of perspective is alive and thriving on DCUM. |
Screen and social media addiction. That’s their “interaction”. Plus they wear their ear buds all day so don’t talk or respond. |