If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad? • Hacker News Board

Re: If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad?

#161

Post by mbgerring » Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 5:05 PM UTC

lanthissa wrote: post #64

functionmouse wrote: post #2

because America's not rich; like 100 people here just have more money than most countries

this isn't accurate. america has a wealth per adult of 551,350 germany has a wealth per adult of 256,180 if you exclude the top 10 highest wealth holders in each country its 543,385 vs 252,811. america's a rich country compared most other countries its also got huge wealth in equality because its top .001% is something that doesn't exist anywhere else

Now compare what you can get for that money in both countries, and you will inevitably discover that the German is wealthier in every way that matters.

Re: If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad?

#162

Post by ghaff » Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 5:05 PM UTC

lanthissa wrote: post #130

ericmay wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It varies by location and by what we mean by rich. In New York, for example, you're totally right. But for most of America the model is country club + suburb, 6,000 sqft house with a pool, big public school district that is very well funded, SUVs, &c. for the "rich". And in some cities you actually have both. Where I live we have these big, wealthy suburbs (New Albany for example), Delaware County in central Ohio is…

in new york you're not remotely right. the suburbs around new york are some of the richest in the world. Scardsale, every town near the ct border, rye, huge parts of li, montclair nj and the towns around it. the average household net worth in westchester which is a huge county is $1m, thats on the same tier as wealthy parts of any major city. Sames true of the suburban sprawl of the bay area and dc.

I'm not sure you're contradicting the parent. There are "elite" suburbs/coastal towns surrounding a lot of "elite" cities. There's something of a preference (and life stage) whether someone has a nice condo in a city or a nice suburban/exurban home (or admittedly both in some cases). The balance doubtless varies depending on the locale; there are some cities that aren't generally considered very desirable while some of thee suburbs/exurbs/nearby smaller cities are.

Re: If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad?

#163

Post by 0x1ceb00da » Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 5:05 PM UTC

cynicalpeace wrote: post #52

One of the clear detriments of a secular culture is you lose the source code that tells you in clear words: pursuit of material wealth is only a small part of a full life And when you only pursue material wealth, well... that is "the root of all evil"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff2jQGz6DxM

Re: If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad?

#164

Post by karlgkk » Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 5:05 PM UTC

RajT88 wrote: post #108

ericmay wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It varies by location and by what we mean by rich. In New York, for example, you're totally right. But for most of America the model is country club + suburb, 6,000 sqft house with a pool, big public school district that is very well funded, SUVs, &c. for the "rich". And in some cities you actually have both. Where I live we have these big, wealthy suburbs (New Albany for example), Delaware County in central Ohio is…

The suburban wealthy are a little more McMansion/nouveau riche. Some of these people meet a certain definition of "rich", as in they never have to worry about money. Most suburbanites are not rich by that definition, there's a mix of negative net worth "keeping up with the joneses" types and the single digit millionaires who are a little less flashy and careful with their money. A useful example - I knew a guy who li…

As a SDM, something about being able to retire immediately changes you. That violently brings into focus a new most important aspect of wealth.

I’m still working (I enjoy it!). But, having a job is no longer stressful. Small stuff completely doesn’t matter and big stuff barely moves the needle.

I screw up at work? What are they gonna do, fire me? lol who cares.

Doing salary or raise negotiations? Max the band out. What are they gonna do, not hire me? lol who cares.

Rumors of layoffs? lol who cares.

Re: If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad?

#165

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 5:05 PM UTC

ordinaryradical wrote: post #86

Induane wrote: post #4

Relentless striving without any kind of real meaning isn't healthy. Even people who aren't deeply Christian in the religious sense are still inherited of much of the values. I.E. people must prove their value via an extraordinary work ethic.

Christian orthodoxy begins with the assertion you cannot ever work hard enough to be made right with God but that your value is imputed by Christ’s death and never once earned. See also: the imago dei. What you’re describing is not “Christian values” but the famed “Protestant work ethic,” a product of puritan immigrants fleeing European discrimination. That ethic is Christian in source but when divorced from the know…

[deleted]

Re: If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad?

#166

Post by spwa4 » Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 5:06 PM UTC

lanthissa wrote: post #64

functionmouse wrote: post #2

because America's not rich; like 100 people here just have more money than most countries

this isn't accurate. america has a wealth per adult of 551,350 germany has a wealth per adult of 256,180 if you exclude the top 10 highest wealth holders in each country its 543,385 vs 252,811. america's a rich country compared most other countries its also got huge wealth in equality because its top .001% is something that doesn't exist anywhere else

ssshhhh ... in reality it's of course the case that the poorer a country is, the more unequal it is. In Pakistan the gulf between rich and poor is easily 100x what it is in the US.

The most luxurious hotels in the world, the most decadent, aren't in Washington. They're in places like Teheran. Like Islamabad. Like Kinshasa. Things like, hotels where 5 prostitutes on standby per room is standard.

The richest people in the world are people like Putin and Xi Jinping. Communists "defending the rights of the people". And whoever it is in the US at the moment don't remotely compare to them in wealth.

And what people are complaining about, in the US, but equally in Germany (well I only know about the Netherlands firsthand, but ... look at the map) is not how good or bad they have it. Simply about "how bad it's getting". In other words, they're complaining this year it's a little bit worse than last year. A tiny little bit. THAT, they can't deal with. Absolute level of wealth? Income inequality? Doesn't really matter.

And the scary question is if they'll go to war over that. They certainly have in the past.

Re: If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad?

#167

Post by bombcar » Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 5:06 PM UTC

newsoftheday wrote: post #111

kilroy123 wrote: post #95

It all shifted in 2012: https://wtfhappened2012.com I am an optimist, so I do think things will improve eventually, and we're going through a tough transition.

This graph on that page was very interesting to me: "Below-Basic Reading Levels". People's education levels are dropping.

Any "aggregate" statistic needs to be broken out until it is understood. Is everyone dropping, or is it a certain subset of poor, etc that is dropping?

E.g., does the Mississippi Miracle translate into something notable? https://jabberwocking.com/mississippi-revisited-the-mississi...

Re: If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad?

#168

Post by FrustratedMonky » Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 5:07 PM UTC

asdfman123 wrote: post #154

FrustratedMonky wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Presumably in a general survey, there are a lot more poor, than rich. Hence they are the 1%. So 1% of the survey respondents are rich, and unhappy. Versus the 99% that are poor and unhappy. The Rich, probably just need to get a grip, and stop complaining. "boo hoo, your life is so empty". The Poor, probably just need security.

But this just sounds like you're sticking to a viewpoint regardless of the facts presented. "Poor people are unhappy due to their lack of money, and rich people should be happy due to their money." But the truth is everyone is less happy. Maybe there's something else going on.

Because money is a big issue.

There are plenty of real studies, not just this one, that people's happiness dramatically increases with money, up to a plateau, past that plateau happiness doesn't increase.

Last I checked, I think it was 70-80K Salary was a baseline. Below that, yes, happiness was really impacted by being without money.

And since this one was 'generic', across the population, and there are a lot of people <80K salaries, then yes, it is a big variable.

Re: If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad?

#169

Post by some_random » Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 5:07 PM UTC

partiallypro wrote: post #80

david927 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

- Around 76% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. - 71% of adults say that their monthly debt payments prevent them from saving. When we say America, we can't just mean the 20% who are ok. It has to mean the 70% who aren't. America is not rich. It used to be. It is not now.

America is very very rich, the average person is much wealthier than the average European. 76% of Americans do not live paycheck to paycheck. That is a self reported stat and not reliable. It's a media sensationalist headline grabber which virtually every economist ignores. People don't like saying America is rich because it defies their beliefs, but the actual stats don't lie. Every American I know that has moved to…

One quick correction, it's not a self reported stat, it's a stat from a viral tiktok that comes from maybe a 2013 survey on a personal finance site.

Re: If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad?

#170

Post by hiAndrewQuinn » Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 5:07 PM UTC

asdfman123 wrote: post #119

hiAndrewQuinn wrote: post #16

I like how the graphs suggest that prior to 2020 a certain "holy trinity" for happiness existed of being married, graduating college, and voting Republican. This passes the sniff test even though I am only 2 for 3, I was not having a great time at 1 and was downright glum at 0.

I suspect much of it was simply... believing in the American dream. And it's not just about the house in the suburbs, it's believing you're building something worthwhile, beautiful, and enduring. In the interests of being purely descriptive: married, college-educated Republican usually meant "someone who in the mainstream who had made it ." You were happy with this country and where it was going. Now, everyone is des…

I could see that making sense. For what it's worth, I still believe in the American dream even though I moved overseas five years ago, more than ever in fact. Many Europeans call me the most American guy they've ever met, which I read as a tremendous compliment.

But I choose the original, abstract one - life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. No house needed; Diogenes can hang. I still think that's a message anyone can get behind, no matter where they are, and if they want to get behind that they're a fellow American in my heart at least.