It makes sense upper middle class wouldn't advocate for traditional values. They instead put up barriers to join the upper middle class. The book "Dream Hoarders" captures this well (restrictive zoning, parents helping finding internships, etc) [0]. If the playbook was available to everyone, then it would make maintaining your own position in the hierarchy all the more difficult. One thing the upper middle class fears the most is losing their position in society: the class provides solid income, but it isn't enough wealth to prevent being wiped out by a health incident or a bad investment.
I'm paraphrasing, but Charlie Munger [1] recently said that our economic system depends on agony to get ahead.
> what makes capitalism work is the fact that if you’re an able-bodied young person and you refuse to work, you suffer a fair amount of agony. It’s because of that agony that the whole economic system work.
I'm paraphrasing, but Charlie Munger [1] recently said that our economic system depends on agony to get ahead.
> what makes capitalism work is the fact that if you’re an able-bodied young person and you refuse to work, you suffer a fair amount of agony. It’s because of that agony that the whole economic system work.
[0]: https://www.brookings.edu/book/dream-hoarders/
[1]: https://junto.investments/daily-journal-2022-transcript/