Comment by jongjong

In Australia, I'm a software engineer and don't own property so I'm a peasant but my parents are in the noble class. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to find things to talk about with them because almost everything that happens to me is bad and they can't relate.

So every topic we talk about seems to dissolve into some detailed complaint about how the system is screwing over people and it makes my parents uncomfortable. But then I can't talk about my work since it's too technical (and mind-numbing) for them so I literally have nothing else to talk about since I work all the time. I can't discuss politics because they think everything is fine politically. I picked up some outdoor hobbies so thankfully I have that to talk about; at least until my workload increases and salary drops to the point that I don't have time for hobbies anymore and can't afford to go on holidays.

The class divide is so strong, my life's goal shifted from "become a tech millionaire" to "try to save a deposit for an apartment" to now "just survive 30 years". If I can survive 30 years, I will become noble and I will finally understand what it feels like to be happy.

But because I'm a peasant and constantly stressed with a horrible workaholic lifestyle doing unfulfilling work, I think there's a possibility I'll die before my parents. I try to teach my toddler son about the importance of money. I had my son quite late because I couldn't afford to have a child sooner. Also, because I'm poor, my wife is quite a bit older than me (only noble men can afford younger wife these days). I worry my son won't understand the importance of money so I wrote letters for him in case he ends up inheriting at a young age to explain how money works and how horrible my life has been without money and how corrupt the system is and that real friends cannot exist in this system because people are always trying to get your money or securing their own money and that money is the most important thing. I explain to everyone around me how the government has made it illegal to be homeless and to exist without money, even if you perfect your wilderness survival skills, rangers will literally find you in the forest and arrest you if you refuse to vacate. I already started planning with my wife how we're going to get him married into money when he is older.

My parents always said that it's bad to spoil a child; that you have to be firm with a child; "when you say no, it means no" kind of thing. I couldn't disagree more nowadays. I started teaching my son that if he throws a tantrum bad enough, for long enough, I will give him what he wanted. Because he needs to know what being a jerk pays off and he needs to demand what he wants. Also, I prioritize his confidence above everything else.