Dear Middle-Class Friends: Please Stop Saying These Tone-Deaf Things

Honey. Pay for your own cocktails.

Lisa Marie
Published in
8 min readJan 27, 2022

--

Photo by Julien L on Unsplash

A couple of months ago, I wrote an article about tone-deaf things some middle-class people do while interacting with the financially underprivileged. As mentioned in the article, I grew up working-class — though I prefer to say “in-betweener.” This is someone who is not rich enough to afford the comfortable lifestyle of the middle-class, but not quite poor enough to be considered “poor.”

In short: I have a lot to say on the topic.

The article did well, attracting a lot of conversation. Most of it has been good. Some of it hasn’t.

Whereas the adage claims that “actions speak louder than words,” one’s words can also have an impact. Thus, let’s look at four more areas where I think middle-class people could stand to improve. This time, our focus will be on things some middle-class people say that comes across as woefully ignorant to the plight of poor(er) people.

Disclaimer: This article is a lighthearted piece written from my perspective as a working-class woman. Please do not take it as a treatise on class differences or as an indictment against privileged people. I wrote it for entertainment purposes.

“I work hard for everything I have!”

“But Lisa!” you may be protesting. “That is not fair! I do work hard to earn a living!”

Yes, I am aware you work hard. Nobody is arguing with that.

Middle-class people are privileged compared to the poor and working-class; however, they are not “rich.” Middle-class people simply have enough of a consistent disposable income to live comfortably; they’re the ones driving SUVs, sipping Starbucks, and living in the suburbs with neatly-manicured lawns. They aren’t the ones who are carrying their children’s nappies around in designer diaper bags.

--

--

Lisa Marie
Perceive More!

College instructor who writes about life, pop culture, and social issues from the perspective of a left-leaning elder millennial.