How Thick Is Your Bubble?
In his forthcoming book, Coming Apart, The State of White America, 1960–2010, Charles Murray writes about the perils of the upper-class elite setting policy that affects regular Americans, with whom these elites have little to nothing in common. Because their bubble is so thick, the elites are vulnerable to making huge policy mistakes, despite their best intentions.
To help you determine how thick your bubble is, Murray has produced a quiz whose score will place you into one of the following categories:
- A lifelong resident of a working-class neighborhood with average television and moviegoing habits. Range: 48–99. Typical: 77.
- A first-generation middle-class person with working-class parents and average television and moviegoing habits. Range: 42–100. Typical: 66.
- A first-generation upper-middle-class person with middle-class parents. Range: 11–80. Typical: 33.
- A second- generation (or more) upper-middle-class person who has made a point of getting out a lot. Range: 0–43. Typical: 9.
- A second- generation (or more) upper-middle-class person with the tele- vision and moviegoing habits of the upper middle class. Range: 0–20.Typical: 2.
Three of the Young Guns crew have thus far taken the quiz, and I was shocked to discover that with my score of 26, I have the biggest bubble. When I protested to the group that Californians need a separate quiz, Meghan Clyne responded, "No, I think that's the point--to live in California (at least, northern California) is to have separated oneself from the mainstream of the rest of the country." Touché.
Take the quiz here (questions begin on page 103), and report back with your score.
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Comments:
Mar '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
50. I'd have done better if I were closer to a movie theater or watched series TV, I guess.
EDIT: I guess that should be scored "higher." Hmm...I just always associate "higher" with "better."
Edited on January 28, 2012 at 3:50amAug '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
60. Working class parents living in a working class neighborhood. Neither parent finished high school nor did their siblings. One parent in a union. I was the first female (on both sides) to graduate college. Still live in a middle class neighborhood but much more diversity than what I knew growing up. Don't watch Nascar but it's big in our area...so hard to ignore.
Nov '10
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
38. I think that is right: I'm a second-generation or more upper middle class person who "has made a point of getting out a lot." Other than that, I'm not exactly sure what the whole thing is supposed to measure. If it's trying to measure how much I know about how less prosperous people live, it doesn't get at anything that would show it.
Dec '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
41. I'm a life-long resident of Northern California, but its a long life (60 y/o). Both parents were high-school dropouts I lived in the Mission District of SF well before it was trendy until it became as it now is, and now live on the SF Peninsula, my suburban home surrounded by Google and Apple employees. One neighbor is a partner at a major IP law firm and was the Chair of the county Democratic Party. Still, the current 'hood is remarkably mixed. Unwed teen mothers arise here, lots of kids graduate w/o any college ambitions, trucks are very popular, Republican lawn signs can be found during elections, as can militant union signs when any labor action is threatened.
I consider myself very well apprised of the American mainstream, but maybe I should reconsider in light of the movies, TV, and restaurants Murray is talking about.
The community and my intercourse within it seem well blended, but the trend over time is unmistakably demonstrative of Murray's theory.
Jun '10
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
My score 54. Lots from the first five questions. Grew up in a small town on a family farm. Virtually no points from movies or TV--although I have seen Despicable Me a couple of times with my grandkids. Hate TV, except for sports; I would watch Oprah or Dr. Phil only at the point of a gun. I am first-generation middle class.
Mar '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
53. I spend most of my time avoiding social climbing. If I hadn't been a nerd, and paid more attention to sports, tv, and movies, I would've scored much worse.
Jan '12
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
I scored 12, but that is misleading. I have not lived in neighborhoods the majority of whose residents were without college degrees in almost fifty years. The only times I have been on a factory floor were on grammar school field trips. Take away my childhood (height of the Cold War) knowledge of military ranks, and my bubble is thick indeed, even for Marin County.
Edited on January 28, 2012 at 4:08amApr '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
My score was 67 due mostly to my very blue-collar parents and my years working as a carpenter. Though my roots are very blue-collar my tastes have migrated to more up scale--cigarettes and domestic beer?!? And how is not having a close friend who is a liberal make someone more blue-collar? I have a lot of family members who are yellow dog Democrats, but close friends, WHY?
May '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
When your Dad left school in 9th grade and your Mom in tenth you get a score of ...wait for it...84. Being a former Marine and cop helped too.
Mar '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
45.
Very provocative quiz, Charles....
I have already pre-ordered my copy of the book, and have followed its development since I saw the video of Murray's AEI speech on the subject.
On a related note, I know many of our members are aware of the Coffee and Markets podcast (Ricochet contributor Ben Domenech is a usual host) but if have yet to hear the 1/27/12 podcast, go listen to it. The last 5 minutes, and especially Francis' take-aways from Murray's argument in the last 60 seconds, are an especially stark way of seeing the consequences of this wider trend.
We're going to be talking about this for a long time to come.
Aug '10
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
71 -- I grew up in a working class family who came from the South, but moved to the Western United States. I worked in construction supply to pay for my undergraduate education, watched most of the movies and tv shows, have wanted to visit Branson, have a wide variety of friends, and know a great deal about NASCAR. I am also in the first generation of my family to go to college and my father, grandfather, uncle, and great uncles served in various branches of the military.
Apr '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
32, and I pretty closely fit the description: "A first- generation upper-middle- class person with middle-class parents" (typical score: 33).
That Jimmie Johnson question was sneaky! But I guess that was the point.
Nov '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
About 33. I spent my teen years in the UK, don't watch much TV, don't drink or smoke. I have plenty of friends who would have answered "yes" to more questions than I did -- I think I fit into the "getting out a lot" category. It bugs me that I didn't know the military insignia.
Aug '10
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
I scored 47, fortuitous for a former Sagehen.
Dec '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
73, but I cleaned up a lot in grad school.
Aug '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
57. I grew up in a privileged bubble, alternating coasts as daughter of the upper middle class professionals in Washington, DC. That all changed when I moved with my ex-husband to the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay 21 years ago. I'm not proud of the secret disdain I felt for my rural neighbors back in those days--particularly as they were the first to reach out to help me after my husband left and I was alone and poor with two children to support. I consider myself lucky--and not just because those bad days are long behind me. To my surprise, I found a welcoming community and a home where I least expected it.
May '10
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
I got a 48, mainly because I scored low on the blue collar job-related questions. And I've never lived outside a suburban area, but I have plenty of friends and relatives who grew up on farms, including my parents.
Edited on January 29, 2012 at 4:21amFeb '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
55 here. Have lived in Nor Cal (San Mateo county) and worked in health care finance at an academic medical center in SF the last 30 years, but spent my formative years in the Inland Empire and a very small town on the Central Coast, so most of my points were scored early in life. I guarantee you I am the only director level person at my employer (and possibly all of SF) who has the slightest idea what lower/mid level staff are thinking, mostly because I talk with them on smoke breaks. Thank you RJ Reynolds...
Jun '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
42. I'm an odd mix of a snob (no Budweiser in my fridge, ever!) with blue collar leanings (I actually like our local IHOP, and my dad's a tree trimmer). Everybody on both sides of my family has been to Branson and raved about it. So far I've managed to avoid it.
I counted the clergy shirt as a uniform. ;)
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
66 -- Growing up in Fort Lauderdale, I missed the small town cutoff; it just felt small. But we did specialize in physical labor in my family, so that helped.