[deleted]
In a country where the majority of people live in under $200/month - owning an SUV does make you elite. Part of the problem is that the privileged in India don't recognize how truly privileged they are.
India’s elites have a ferocious sense of entitlement
11–20 of 251 posts
Re: India’s elites have a ferocious sense of entitlement
#12>You’d think if people had more than they need, they would be generous about it, and would see, reflecting on themselves, that others might want to have more as well. This doesn't really make sense to me. People who value relationships or are compassionate generally, in my anecdotal experience, value money less. So of course they'll have less. Th people who rich are the ones who value spending their time getting mone…
Strange. When I have money, I feel generous about it, and want to use that money to help others. I thought most people felt that way. It's one of the reasons that a progressive tax system makes good sense to me.
There are many ways that people get to be rich. Some are born into it, and stay rich because of systemic biases. Others "value spending their time getting money over helping others" and get rich that way. Still others get there by luck - winning the lottery - or by semi-luck - getting paid in pre-IPO shares of a wildly start-up.
Based on the various stories I've heard, those who win by luck tend to be the most generous with their money.
This essay is about those in the first category; those who are rich because of systemic biases, where society "is so deeply hierarchized along both class and caste lines" and "wealth is so completely tied in with political power, and often to crime without punishment." It's not really the one you're possibly thinking of, where someone starts average and ends up rich.
My income does tend to fluctuate. Some years I make really good money as a consultant. Other times I don't. I don't have much control over it. That would fit with the semi-luck category, since I don't get the feel that my income level is a good reflection of how much effort I put into things; income isn't a good measure of my self.
Re: India’s elites have a ferocious sense of entitlement
#13Ooh, no comments, I'll bite. The last time I said something negative about Indian society I had my personal details thrown all over HN. Wonder what's going to happen this time. So here's the thing. This article is pretty spot on. We, the privileged of India, do indeed feel entitled. There's absolutely no doubt about that. My theory is that the population pressure in India is so very high that you're always fighting f…
Yes, so much prejudice and dogma. Its overwhelming just to think about it.
Re: India’s elites have a ferocious sense of entitlement
#14>You’d think if people had more than they need, they would be generous about it, and would see, reflecting on themselves, that others might want to have more as well. This doesn't really make sense to me. People who value relationships or are compassionate generally, in my anecdotal experience, value money less. So of course they'll have less. Th people who rich are the ones who value spending their time getting mone…
Strange. When I have money, I feel generous about it, and want to use that money to help others. I thought most people felt that way. It's one of the reasons that a progressive tax system makes good sense to me. There are many ways that people get to be rich. Some are born into it, and stay rich because of systemic biases. Others "value spending their time getting money over helping others" and get rich that way. Sti…
The difference is that you acknowledge that you 'have' money. Also, you possibly acknowledge that you had certain opportunities that other people could ill afford and therefore have this money.
Unfortunately, the difference in opportunity in India is considered (by both rich and poor) to be something that God has handed down and therefore it's fair. By the rich because it's convenient to think that way and by the poor because they feel like they have no escape apart from reincarnation.
I was traveling in Brazil last year and found that the poor in Brazil (also due to drug issues..) actively blame the rich for their poverty and are also to a great extent violent against wealthier people. (at least in the cities that I was in..)
However, the difference in India is that poor people more often than not attribute their poverty to God and therefore do not blame the rich or seek retribution. I honestly believe this is what keeps the poor in India from revolting en masse. If the Indian belief system was like the Brazilian system, over here there would be a civil war.
Re: India’s elites have a ferocious sense of entitlement
#15This happen to be a very Chinese and Indian thing. You don't see this in say countries like Sweden or Germany.
You don't see this in stable societies with more income/class equality, but it shows up in any place with large social inequality. Russia/ex-USSR after the 'wild capitalism' of 1990'ies is also a great example with similar situations as described in the original article.
Re: India’s elites have a ferocious sense of entitlement
#16There is an implied causality in this article. Being rich -> Lose empathy.
I'd be curious to know if there indeed is causality in either direction (Less empathetic people get richer) or is it just correlation masquerading as causality.
Re: India’s elites have a ferocious sense of entitlement
#17[deleted]
You need to be part of a country's economic elite to be able to afford a vehicle that costs 10x the local GDP per capita, even if it is a practical choice for the local roads and considered a low-end model in richer countries. Owning an SUV doesn't, of course necessarily mean you have to drive it like an ass (or insist your driver drive it like an ass)
Re: India’s elites have a ferocious sense of entitlement
#18This is not elite entitlement. This is right wing entitlement. The recent death of Maggie reminded me of what she really changed - she made it ok to be selfish and disdainful of "undeserving" poor. India was a hybridised socialist country for a very long time - coming out of that will look at lot like Britain the in the eighties I suspect - and if you want to put bets on the next two term incumbent - they will look a…
This problem is far more complicated than political parties. It's an issue with human nature. Entitlement exists outside of politics.
Re: India’s elites have a ferocious sense of entitlement
#19[deleted]
Judging from your username, am sure you know this already, but there is a very strong but implicit class system based on the amount of wealth you appear to have. You could be worth 10 crores (100 million) rupees, and yet not be considered socially elite if you don't flaunt it. The reverse is also true, where you buy way more than you can afford comfortably for the sake of increasing your social status and to be consi…
[deleted]
Re: India’s elites have a ferocious sense of entitlement
#20"Bill Goldman, the great screenwriter, said to me when I was pathetic enough to ask what Robert Redford was "really like" - ‘what would you be like if you hadn't heard the word “no” for 30 years?" - Stephen Fry