Metamorphosis of individuals from the middle class into those that assume that they have moved up a class can be disastrous to their happiness and to those who were with them when they were firmly entrenched in the middle class. First and most crucial is that values go out of the window! I think the most wonderful thing that most of us in the middle class hang on to, are the values which don't falter with any dose of misery, pride or riches.
When one acquires a great job, rich wife, or some office, some catapult themselves into the rich class! What that also means is that winging it is fine, there is pride in escaping a metro ticket or a traffic offence ticket, or having a laugh at someone's condition, all of which become really minor things to be ignored because I am paying lots of taxes or some such convoluted logic!
Company transforms us, or does it? Can one not hold on to their values even if others around us have different values? That is the real test. And those who fail, not only fail, those who taught them also fail!
People do change and so fast. Some feel that they have left something poorer like the middle class and reached some heights, which by itself, is a wonderful thing, however, there is a need to have values even after you have "arrived" ( whatever that means!). Swami Swaroop Ananda of the Chinmaya Mission has this to say about values " Values are the expression of the creative power of universal life. Our shastra's aver that on the practice of values will help us attain those things for which we are striving- wealth, honour, pleasure, power.
Values are the manifestations, ingredients or expression of the inherent urge to attain a higher state, whether it be success, satisfaction, contentment, or consciousness-existence. It is only through values that we can reach these higher levels.
Values give the mind the possession of its own powers, that is, they awaken the power and potentiality of the mind" Middle class values generally include such qualities as hard work, self-discipline, thrift, honesty, respect, aspiration and ambition. I think these come in handy even if you have broken what you think is the the 'middle class' ceiling. After all, adding value is more important than having wealth....or that is my premise right or wrong
Have I been consistent and faithful to my values and conscious? Surely, have slipped and been off track on many occasions, which has provided me the proof and experience to know the value of values! What do you think? Have seen people who dumped their middle class values when things changed? Or those who stuck to them despite major life changes? Is this worth thinking about at all?
