• LAUNCH YOUR DREAM
  • BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER
  • STARTING OVER MIDLIFE
  • HAPPINESS THROUGH ACTIVISM
  • TRAVEL THE WORLD
  • GET HEALTHY & FIT
  • BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE
  • BRAVE LIVING
  • WRITE WITH US

8WomenDream

Dream Big Stories

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • CONNECT
You Are Here Home » WRITE WITH US » Paying to Get Ahead: The American Dream?

in WRITE WITH US

Paying to Get Ahead: The American Dream?

Last updated on February 7th, 2013 at 04:04 pm

Paying to get ahead

Well into my second year of blogging about my dream of achieving financial mastery, I am continually reminded that mastery of anything is as much about one’s head as it is about one’s behavior.

Hence, I seem to be going through a period of re-thinking my thinking about money.For readers who are looking for some tips and strategies on saving money, I’m not giving you much when I write about this stuff, for which I apologize.

But in my humble opinion, all the tips and strategies in the world can’t hold a teaspoonful of water if they aren’t backed up by right thinking.

Money behavior is  a matter of digging up the underlying beliefs, and working on getting those right in order to get the behavior right. If we’re not doing that, all the budgeting and numbers-crunching and money diets in the world won’t amount to a hill of beans.

Some money beliefs are personal, and some are cultural. Last week I mentioned the book What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets, by Michael J. Sandel . I thought I’d give you an example from the book about how our cultural beliefs about money are influencing our individual money behaviors. Sandel’s got a whole chapter on paying to jump the queue.

It’s no secret that you can pay to get ahead, quite literally, nowadays. But as a culture, we haven’t really talked about whether that’s a good thing or not. We just seem to be taking it for granted.

We pay a premium to get telephone support on the software we buy. People who don’t pay the premium are stuck with “knowledgebase” articles instead of personal assistance.

We pay extra to jump to the front of the line on the popular rides at Disneyland. People who don’t pay extra just keep on waiting.

We pay more to go to the front of the airport security line, or to “pre-board” our plane.

There’s  even talk of letting solo drivers buy passes to use commuter lanes so they can get to work faster during rush hour, while the other shlubs who don’t pay extra creep along in the regular lanes.

If you’re like me, you probably just shrugged your shoulders and said, “Yeah, so?”

But think about it. What does it mean that you can buy your way to the front of the line?

It means that if you have the money, you get treated differently. Yes, you get the same ride – but without the wait. You get the same software, but also the help to make the most of it. You get on the same plane, but a lot more conveniently. You drive the same miles, but faster.

Meanwhile – and this is the important part –  the people who didn’t pay extra are also treated differently, and not in such a good way.

In other times and with other issues, that was called “separate but equal.” Two drinking fountains, one for whites and one for blacks. Everyone got water, they just got it separately. So, that’s equal treatment, right?

Of course not. Way back in 1954, the Supreme Court struck down separate but equal because separate is inherently not equal. Back then, people were separated by the color of their skin. Now people are separated by whether they pay extra or not.

Try out a little thought experiment and see if it works. Imagine two drinking fountains, one in the hot sun and one in the cool shade of a sheltering tree. One is for white people and one is for black people.

Which one do you think the white people got? Same water, but not an equal experience.  Now imagine the same two drinking fountains. One costs 50 cents, and one is free. It’s obvious which one costs money.

Same water, separate fountains, hardly equal. Otherwise, what would be the point of paying?

Someone’s going to leave a comment saying that treating people who pay differently from people who don’t is not the same as segregation, and my analogy therefore lacks accuracy. Black people can’t control being black, whereas people who have money to pay for premiums can control having money. All they have to do is work for it; and if someone’s willing to work for it, then they should be able to use it to buy privileges.

It sounds good if you say it fast, because it goes to the heart of capitalism. But it is a slippery slope in a lot of directions. As Sandel points out, capitalism envisions a market economy, not a market society. Exactly which kinds of privileges should be up for sale?

For that matter, where’s the dividing line between a right and a privilege?

We have experience charging people for their rights, and the courts don’t like it. And do we really actually live in a world where everyone has an equal and limitless opportunity to earn, and where laziness and ignorance are the only excuses for not having the money to buy privilege?

Or is that just a theoretical world we’ve convinced ourselves we live in, when the truth is actually much different?

My dream of financial mastery is not just personal, it’s cultural. Paying to get ahead – is that truly the American dream?

Related Stories:

  • The American Dream is Missing From the News Like a 20-year old Man at a La Leche Rally.
    The American Dream is Missing From the News Like a…
  • A Bobcat
    Living The American Dream is Not For the Faint of Heart
  • Living the American Dream Requires Your Whole Heart
    Living the American Dream Requires Your Whole Heart
  • Mt. Hood at my house.
    Live your American Dream by Making Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts
Contributor Dream Stories

Enjoy this special 8WomenDream Guest Contributor story submitted by new and experienced big dreamers throughout the world, edited and published to capture a dream perspective from different points of view. Do you have a personal dream story to share with 8WomenDream readers? Click here to learn how to submit dream big articles for consideration.

Note: Articles by Guest Post Contributors may contain affiliate links and may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on an affiliate link.

Filed Under: WRITE WITH US

Some of the posts on 8WD contain affiliate links or links to purchase products or programs from 8WD contributors. This means 8WD or the contributor may make a small commission if you make a purchase. The 8WD affiliate links help offset the cost of hosting this website and the contributor links help support the dreams of the contributor. Please check out the 8WD Legal Page for more details.

Thank you for your continued support!

« 8 Top Items You Must Have to Create the Perfect Wine Country Dream Kitchen
A Tribute to My Heroes For Father’s Day, Part I »

Check it out

  • LAUNCH YOUR DREAM
  • BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER
  • STARTING OVER MIDLIFE
  • HAPPINESS THROUGH ACTIVISM
  • TRAVEL THE WORLD
  • GET HEALTHY & FIT
  • BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE
  • BRAVE LIVING
  • WRITE WITH US


The 8WomenDream Dream Tote Bag

About the 8WomenDream Tote Bag
US – 10oz Cotton
Dimensions (External Dimensions)
• Height – 18″ (45.72cm or 457.2mm)
• Width – 15″ (38.1cm or 381mm)
Handle Dimensions (Internal Dimensions)
• Length – 29″ (73.7cm or 736.6mm)

Recent Dream Stories

  • 8 Solstice Traditions for Focusing on Your Big Dream this Year
  • Winter Solstice: What Will You Do With 1 Minute More?
  • Why Halloween Costumes Can Help Discover Your Big Dream
  • How the Equinox Can be a Catalyst for Change
  • 5 Strategies to Live Your Wildest Dreams
  • Starting Over as a Single Mom Wasn’t My Big Dream
  • Warning: Big Dream to Be a Motivational Speaker Won’t Always Obey Your Plans
  • Dance to Relieve Stress to Focus on Your Big Dream

Inspiration

More About 8WD

WE BELIEVE EVERYONE HAS THE POWER TO ACHIEVE BIG DREAMS.
 
IT IS OUR SINCEREST WISH THROUGH THE SHARING OF PERSONAL STORIES ABOUT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO TRY TO ACHIEVE A BIG DREAM THAT WE WILL INSPIRE YOU GO AFTER A BIG DREAM TOO.
 
YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT 8WOMENDREAM, HERE.

8 WOMEN DREAM | COPYRIGHT All RIGHTS RESERVED © 2025 · LEGAL

Welcome to 8WomenDream Where Big Dreams Are Shared
The 8WomenDream website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're OK with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. ACCEPT REJECT READ MORE
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT