Writing about values is hard. Writing about values without being a sanctimonious prick is really hard. But Aaron Renn, who has lately been sounding the alarm on the decline of “bourgeois values,” regularly pulls it off. A senior fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute (and disconcertingly prolific Substacker), Renn is more observer than ideologue and particularly sharp on the compromises made by the professional managerial class.
He believes we have conflated or traded – at least to some degree – self-control for some combination of consumer choice and status. It’s not a particularly fun argument to hear[1], but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth listening from a thoughtful person.
Upper Middle spoke to Renn at his home in Indianapolis. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Let’s start with the obvious question. What are “bourgeois values” and why do they matter?
Think about Benjamin Franklin's “13 Virtues.” It's a secularized version of the Protestant Ethic focused on temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility. It’s all about self-control, hard work, and fairness. These virtues are rooted in the very American idea that you can improve your life through your own efforts, which I think has been under attack in recent decades.
You’ve written that these values persist in America, but seem to be fading, especially among my people, the oat milk elite. But, in my experience, white-collar metroplex professionals live by these values – perhaps to a greater extent than other groups. Am I being too generous to my own people?
Yes and no. The urban upper middle class has virtues. They tend to get divorced less. They tend not to have as many kids out of wedlock. They tend to actually be more traditional than they’re willing to admit. If you open the New York Times, you’ll read a glowing review of Dying for Sex, where a woman dumps her husband to go on sexual escapades, but most urban elites don’t live those kinds of lives or emulate those who do. Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's life is, for example, incredibly traditional. All that said, I would argue that there seems to be a decline in interest in work among members of the urban upper middle class, who seem to be the people most heavily invested in things like remote work and work from home.
Upper Middle is a member-supported publication. Want access to the data and analysis that has helped 5,300+ anxious professionals re-negotiate their relationship with status, taste, and money?
Already a member? Sign In.
➺ Weekly research-focused "Class Notes" essays looking at learned behaviors, cultural/social biases, and internalized expectations.
➺ Biweekly survey data-driven "Status Report" teardowns of why people like us act like this. (Future state: Access to raw data via AI portals.)
➺ Invitations to "Zero-Martini Lunch" live Q+As with scholars, authors, experts and minor celebrities with insight into the Upper Middle lifestyle.
➺ Other stuff. Access to deals. Introductions…. We're always trying shit.
