Upper Middle’s “Self-Assessment” survey found that self-talk related to financial and personal circumstances was determined more by expectations and adult relationships than by material circumstances. The data suggests that we work irrational hard and make more professional sacrifices than make strategic sense. And that, on some level, we know it….
Despite the fact the largest group of respondents being professionals with $1M–$2.5M in net worth, responses reflected deep ambivalence about quality of life.
Playing Chicken, Professionally
Self-reported professional success (40.89%) showed only a slight positive correlation to self-reported personal success (59.42%), but professionally successful respondents overwhelming (91%) stated that personal sacrifices had been “Absolutely” or “Probably” worth it. Among those who consider themselves “Kinda Successful,” sentiment about sacrifices being worth it was lower (80%), but still disproportionately positive.
Those numbers suggest that we work hard even when we know working hard may not lead to happiness – or could create unhappiness. This appears to be particularly true in fields staffed by professionals from Upper Middle backgrounds who constitute the group least likely (47%) to surpass their parents financially. A majority of self-reported successes working in tech, finance, and operations reported less than success personal lives.
Though personal success was only slightly correlated to professional success, it was strongly correlated to having more money than one’s parents at the same age.
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