Agreed but my suspicion is that many high earners are probably the opposite - as discussed in "millionaire next door" - you would never suspect that they are high earners from the old cars they drive, the old clothes they wear and the modest house in which they live.
Especially if you have come from a background of reasonable affluence, there is an unlikely need for ostentation. Conspicuous consumption usually afflicts those who are the "nouveau riche" who feel a need to prove something as they have come from backgrounds of scarcity.
The reality is that most humans - unless financially educated and disciplined due to it - will fill up their income with relative consumer spending.
In this day and age - in most Western societies - the average person is spending almost - if not more than - their income.
I think the average USA Joe Thong is at about 105% of income on spending, here in Aus I heard it was 110% of income.
In the last year or so apparently the CC debt has reduced somewhat - it was said that "people are saving more"...I think it is more like reducing debt is the reality, so still mostly in the red.
I have been a keen observer of humans through my work and just in general life since beginning work some 34 years ago.
It is a common thing for folks to think higher income earners are Scrooge McDuck and get around in the old Falcon and live in rags, etc...but really that's BS.
No; folks work hard, study hard and strive to get high paying jobs for the money as a large % of their motivation - so they can spend it on a better life.
Otherwise, if there was no motivation for the money then doctors would work for free, barristers would too, and so on, and everyone would be driving around in Toyota 180B's from the 80's, etc...or catching buses and there'd be no cars on the road...certainly no Beemers and/or Mercs, etc
And the rest would simply live off the dole - because money, and doodads, and a nice life doesn't matter, right?
