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:
Aug '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
emory king
I was drunk the day my mom got out of prison. And I went to pick her up in the rain. · 12 hours ago
Edited 11 hours ago
Best. Song. Ever.
Dec '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
Hmpf. I'm a little disappointed that I got a 47. The only thing that saved me from having a much lower score was military service. I don't drink, smoke, fish, or do some of the activities that would've given me a higher score.
Mar '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
At 180 posts and 124 responses to the survey, the current Ricochet average stands at 56.
Nov '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
And another thing about the restaurants: Waffle House and Ruby Tuesday are two of the restaurants with Obamacare exemptions. Hmm, I guess this means that these restaurants ARE located in Nancy Pelosi's district.
Aug '10
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
I was wondering that and not looking forward to compiling it myself. Thanks CN!
What is the St Dev?
Diane Ellis, Ed.:
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:
He mentions these categories and representative scores as example, not the entirety of the population.
Jan '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
55 - and the descriptors are pretty close for me. Newly middle class parents, but lived and worked in industry in rural areas all my career. Smoke, but don't watch much TV!
Nov '10
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
Bryan G. Stephens: It still smacks of the "privilege walk" to me.
IF we have less government, who cares how disconnected people are? The only reason it is even an issue is the current loss of liberty.
How would George Washington have scored? Thomas Jefferson? Did they live lives of the common man?
It is not how you live, but how much you think you should direct the lives of others. Take that away, and this is meaningless. · 8 hours ago
Exactly. Beautifully put.
Mar '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
45, it is interesting they do not have a second generation middle class family as a category. I would think that is a lot more common that second generation upper-middle class.
However, if I had taken this in college I would of had a really low score (upper 20's) but that would of been right. In high-school and college I did live in my own world.
Jun '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
Put me down for 54, CN. That won't move the needle a bit.
We all want the scores from Long, Robinson, and Lileks I'm sure.
Oct '10
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
66 +2 on my own bonus points. I addition to lettering in my sport, was all-conference, Academic All-American, continued in college, and still played in the band. I think an extra 2 is reasonable.
As pop-cultured as I feel, most of my points came from the life history. I lived in a rural community that in my lifetime felt the insidious reach of urban sprawl. I worked on a factory floor (at a family business) from school breaks from middle school on. There were two lessons my dad wanted me to get from it. If I could do that manual labor at 13, there should be no reason I couldn't find a job where ever my life took me; I could always do work because I had worked alongside men and wouldn't be too proud to take what was available. Also, even though I could work, education was the key to not being limited to manual labor. One summer in high school I had a full time position sterilizing medical instruments, reffed sports on the weekends, sold cotton candy at an MLB park on evenings, and helped at the family business when needed.
Oct '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
29, and if it hadn't been for my Navy time, it would have been much worse. Since I was raised in a Denver suburb and went to a very much not Ivy university, I have no idea where I went wrong...
Aug '10
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
I scored a 31, which is higher than I expected.
However...
Growing up, the family business was a factory that produced livestock identification (ear tags for cows, sheep, swine, etc). My dad made me work on the factory floor during the summer. The factory no longer exists. The land on which it stood is now occupied by condominiums.
I was raised in a church-going family, and I was a camp counselor at a bible camp. I no longer attend church, but I still consider myself a believing Christian.
I've participated in parades, but only because I've worked for politicians.
Without those three factors, I would have scored a 19.
Edited on January 30, 2012 at 6:16pmAug '10
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
That seems appropriate for a group of educated, tech-savvy conservatives who spend way too much time on the Internet rather than doing real work.
Jun '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
I believe that Murray would say that disconnectedness has contributed to our loss of liberty. Once the poor and struggling are no longer our neighbors, friends, and acquaintances, it becomes easier to outsource our duties to provide charity, instruction, and discipline to the state. You may not hold such an attitude, but can you see the temptation that it would hold for others?
Also, I think you'd be surprised what Washington and Jefferson would score. Our political leaders lived and walked among us for decades and decades after independence. Just about anyone could walk into the White House until the Lincoln assassination. Even Harry Truman took regular walks around Washington, DC.
Bryan G. Stephens: It still smacks of the "privilege walk" to me.
IF we have less government, who cares how disconnected people are? The only reason it is even an issue is the current loss of liberty.
How would George Washington have scored? Thomas Jefferson? Did they live lives of the common man?
It is not how you live, but how much you think you should direct the lives of others. Take that away, and this is meaningless. · Jan. 29 at 8:10am
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
Misthiocracy
That seems appropriate for a group of educated, tech-savvy conservatives who spend way too much time on the Internet rather than doing real work. · 36 minutes ago
I scored 56! I'm average!
Sep '10
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
Misthiocracy
That seems appropriate for a group of educated, tech-savvy conservatives who spend way too much time on the Internet rather than doing real work. · 37 minutes ago
Ricochet is dessert; I'm just a light eater with all my other meals.
May '10
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
Are you really saying that the differences in standard of living for Romney and the poor are greater than they were for Plantation Owners and hardscrabble farmers?
I stand by my point that it does not matter one whit to my freedom how someone else lives as long as they don't try to tell me how to live. Decrease government's hands where it does not belong and we will all be more free.
Fricosis Guy: I believe that Murray would say that disconnectedness has contributed to our loss of liberty. Once the poor and struggling are no longer our neighbors, friends, and acquaintances, it becomes easier to outsource our duties to provide charity, instruction, and discipline to the state. You may not hold such an attitude, but can you see the temptation that it would hold for others?
Also, I think you'd be surprised what Washington and Jefferson would score. Our political leaders lived and walked among us for decades and decades after independence. Just about anyone could walk into the White House until the Lincoln assassination. Even Harry Truman took regular walks around Washington, DC.
34 minutes ago
Jun '10
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
Reinforcing the average: 57.
Jun '11
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
I believe you're reading "standard of living" into my comments re: Washington and Jefferson's relative connectedness. It seems like you're conflating the two concepts. Murray's point is that we have to disentangle them; otherwise we don't fully understand why the collectivist path has become so broad for so many.
Regardless, there's no disputing your last point re: "government's hands".
Bryan G. Stephens: Are you really saying that the differences in standard of living...?
I stand by my point that it does not matter one whit to my freedom how someone else lives as long as they don't try to tell me how to live. Decrease government's hands where it does not belong and we will all be more free.
Fricosis Guy: Also, I think you'd be surprised what Washington and Jefferson would score. Our political leaders lived and walked among us for decades and decades after independence. Just about anyone could walk into the White House until the Lincoln assassination. Even Harry Truman took regular walks around Washington, DC.
34 minutes ago
12 minutes ago
May '10
Re: How Thick Is Your Bubble?
I come in at 57. Grew up n Idaho in a town of 700. I moved to the burbs north of Atlanta after 30 years in Idaho. Living in a metro area in the SE, I disagree that California needs their own quiz.