As a teacher at my old high school told me recently, “They want us to be shepherds to these kids. But no one wants to talk about the fact that many o… - JD Vance

social mobility isn’t just about money and economics, it’s about a lifestyle change. The wealthy and the powerful aren’t just wealthy and powerful; they follow a different set of norms and mores. When you go from working-class to professional-class, almost everything about your old life becomes unfashionable at best or unhealthy at worst.

I don’t believe in epiphanies. I don’t believe in transformative moments, as transformation is harder than a moment. I’ve seen far too many people awash in a genuine desire to change only to lose their mettle when they realized just how difficult change actually is.

The lesson? Powerful people sometimes do things to help people like me without really understanding people like me.