The Strange Case Of The Wallflower Wealthy

these days, ostentatious displays of wealth are out. Nobody is allowed to talk about how much money they are making; no one is even allowed to talk about how much money they have lost. No one dares to be seen lounging around a golf course, skydiving out of a private jet or booking passage on the space shuttle, not while the four horsemen of the apocalypse are ripping through town. Everyone is expected to stay at home moping and eating celery stalks. If people who don't have money are hurting, people who do have money are expected to act as if they are not. This defeats the whole purpose of having money.

It also flies in the face of everything Americans believe about themselves, and it brings down the mood of the country. Study after study shows that Americans without money do not resent the rich, because they fully expect to join their ranks some day. What's more, they find the exploits of the rich both exciting and inspirational.

Forbes cheerleads the top.