Comments on: Why Income Inequality Matters: Motivation

By: Leslie M-B

Leslie M-B — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 19:43:23 +0000

Yes, hard work improves your chances of success in the U.S., but this post seems to assume the U.S. is a meritocracy. In many ways, it’s not. Lots of people are born with strikes against them–race, class, gender, disability–that lead others to discriminate against them, consciously or not. These people have to work even harder, and even when they do so, they aren’t always rewarded. It’s no wonder then, that some people “choose” to be poor–they have learned some awful lessons from the culture. Meeting with more discrimination (subtle and explicit) than success, they lose their motivation.

By: Jim Kane

Jim Kane — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 14:29:12 +0000

Apparently, most of your commenters missed out on this great quote from TMND from the typical millionaire:
“Most of us have never felt at a disadvantage because we did not receive any inheritance. About 80 percent of us are first-generation affluent.”

HC, if success was a given, what would be the source of motivation for those who wished to escape poverty by their own means? Discomfort isn’t fun, but it is a pretty good motivator (just ask my kids).

By: HC

HC — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 18:29:06 +0000

To an extent, I agree. However, as the Lorenz curve gets close to a right angle, I believe that is fundamentally demotivating. “The game is rigged. Why play?”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorenz_curve

I don’t think any nation has come up with the ideal combination of entrepreneurial support and welfare transfers to allow everyone in your group 3 to succeed. I’m not sure any ever will. But here’s hoping.

By: Flexo

Flexo — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 18:04:40 +0000

In general, persons on an individual level do not make huge swings in class (poor to rich) in one generation. But the American economy survives because of the belief that this is possible. The belief that this is possible is sustained by anecdotal stories about poor people who strike it rich whether through hard work or luck. The “American Dream” is mainly bunk but it’s important for most of our society to believe it in order for the economy to survive.

By: frank

frank — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 17:12:42 +0000

Key assumption: “in an open and free society”. Motivation is good if you really and truly believe you stand a chance. One of the points of the article (from my understanding) was whether or not that’s still true today in America. Do people feel like they have a chance, or do they feel the chips are stacked against them by the elite upper crust? I would argue that the answer is we don’t know, but an argument can be made that the burgeoning income gap could point to a situation where it is more difficult to make it.
Just food for thought, although I agree with your post.

By: AGEE

AGEE — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 17:10:08 +0000

That’s so true even though many don’t see it or admit to it. I come from a lower-middle class family and I can feel the motivation to do better in school so that my (future) kids won’t have to deal with the same hardship my family is currently going through. I also would like to point out that living in the US has also slowly draining my motivation and I am slowly slipping into the second group. Why? Because life in America (even as of now) is still easier than life before. I fear that someday I may have no more motivation but I keep hoping that day won’t come but that’s exactly my problem, hoping, instead of acting.