Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Simple living, extreme early retirement, becoming and being wealthy, wisdom, praxis, personal growth,...
2Birds1Stone
Posts: 1596
Joined: Thu Nov 19, 2015 11:20 am
Location: Earth

Re: Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Post by 2Birds1Stone »

No offense to anyone here, but this *"test" was dumb as fuck.

Tyler9000
Posts: 1758
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2012 11:45 pm

Re: Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Post by Tyler9000 »

Personally I think bubbles have very little to do with the TV shows you watch or the books you read. For example, I know all of the shows on the survey and could tell you roughly what they're about, but I choose not to regularly watch them just because there are other things I'd rather do. Having educated preferences and living in an elitist bubble are two very different things.

In my experience, true bubbles are more clearly seen in blatant tribal affiliation and the inability to accurately articulate ideas from an outside perspective. So the types of questions I would ask to judge bubbles don't fit well into quick scores but tell me a lot about a person.

1) Who did you vote for in the last presidential election? Explain in your own words the primary reason people voted for the other candidate.

2) Briefly explain the high-level science behind climate change, organic food, vaccines, fracking, and biological gender. Which of these do you believe other people most misunderstand, and why do you think it's so hard for them to accept?

3) Let's say you are in a cooking contest. You get to make one dish, and the winner is chosen not by a judge but by a panel of 100 randomly picked people from around the world. What would you make, and why?

...And other stuff like that. Things like education level and whether you prefer NASCAR or ballet are just normal cultural differences. Regardless of those differences, the key insight into personal bubbles is each person's ability to think beyond their own preexisting programming.

Riggerjack
Posts: 3180
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:09 am

Re: Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Post by Riggerjack »

@ T9K

Yeah, but.

His work is centered around the popular divide in America. We in ERE are fairly orthogonal to this, if for no other reason than that we are trying to do what is so far removed from the norm, that we are going to be more familiar with unorthodox ideas. tThat we continue in the face of the consumerist norms gives us a certain natural immunity to the bubble effect he is testing for. Most folks in bubbles have been in their bubble at least since reaching early adulthood. That's why the test is as it is.

I mean really, how many in your daily life can describe #2 accurately? Most people don't understand the science of their own side, let alone the other side, or why their team chose that side of the issue. This is because most people just want to be on a team and are very eager to display loyalty to any team that will have them.

Tyler9000
Posts: 1758
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2012 11:45 pm

Re: Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Post by Tyler9000 »

Yeah I get it. I just believe that the popular divide is about so much more than where you fall on the spectrum of organized education and pop culture. The solution is not to force everyone watch NASCAR or read Nietzsche. IMHO it's more about how people of all stripes interact with ideas.

Regarding question #2, the inability to answer is itself a positive indication of an intellectual bubble when paired with signs like this in their yard. The number of people who have extremely strong opinions on those topics while having no idea what they're talking about is frighteningly high. Like you say, it's really more about tribal affiliation than anything else.

But maybe I'm just in my own silly bubble and can't appreciate a good "where do I fit in" internet quiz. :lol:

Kriegsspiel
Posts: 952
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:05 pm

Re: Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Post by Kriegsspiel »

C'mon 2Birds, Tyler, these two tests were all about getting high scores, just like anything. Some of us got really high scores on both. Double bubbles FTW.

IlliniDave
Posts: 3845
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 7:46 pm

Re: Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Post by IlliniDave »

Kriegsspiel wrote:
Fri Sep 07, 2018 2:51 pm
C'mon 2Birds, Tyler, these two tests were all about getting high scores, just like anything. Some of us got really high scores on both. Double bubbles FTW.
Actually, on the first one, low score = the bubble tested for (unless I misread). Although as jacob pointed out, just because low score people ("elitist" traits) doesn't mean people who score in other ranges don't live in analogous bubbles.

The "difference" that prompted the original quiz is that the elites are by his argument the ones making the decisions that affect the lives of non-elites, and they do so without the knowledge to accurately gauge the effect of those decisions. If the working poor don't understand the lives of the powerful and uber-wealthy nothing they do will affect the powerful and uber-wealthy (short of a full-blown Marxist/Maoist revolution maybe*). But the converse is not true. I don't know if the argument that disconnectedness of the powerful elite leads to a rise in populism is accurate, but given the (apocryphal) "There's no bread? Let them eat cake." implies it is not a new thing. The original quiz I would guess is generally data-driven and probably focuses on known differences between social classes. The point isn't to label people so much as to point out how segregated the subcultures are in ways other than just money in the bank.

*That the elite left is pushing ever farther left strikes me as interesting given the leftmost end point.

CS
Posts: 709
Joined: Sat Dec 29, 2012 10:24 pm

Re: Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Post by CS »

OP quiz score: 31
Jacob's Quiz: 51 Feel like I should get some credit for having lived many places, but coming back to the original home means no love. :lol:

Kriegsspiel
Posts: 952
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:05 pm

Re: Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Post by Kriegsspiel »

I also call shenanigans. I've lived for over a year on three different continents and I get no points from Jacob "moving around=better bubble" Fisker? Why do you hate world travelers???

Desert
Posts: 8
Joined: Thu May 24, 2018 7:52 am

Re: Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Post by Desert »

That's a humorous little test. I got a 65, mostly because I grew up with a bunch of rednecks in the middle of a corn field. I found the whole experience of taking this test so stressful, I had to go down to the mini mart and pick up some Natural Light and Newports.

I completely agree with the point others have made, that scoring high on this test may indicate membership in a whole different bubble group.

heyhey
Posts: 113
Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2014 7:17 pm
Location: Herts UK

Re: Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Post by heyhey »

I scored 22 on the original quiz. I automatically had a No for any questions asking if I'd lived in an American whatever, and I didn't understand some questions, eg "In secondary school, did you letter in anything?" Despite watching a lot of American movies growing up, I still have no idea what that means.

Here's my Jacob quiz:
Have you lived for more than 15 years in the state you're currently living in? - Yes
Do you still live less than 300 miles from where you spent the majority of your childhood? - Yes
As an adult have you ever visited another country? (Not counting Mexico or Canada) - Yes
Do you speak another language not counting English or Spanish? (Do you know enough to order beer or buy an airplane ticket?) - Yes, French fluent, German and Italian just enough to buy the beer and air ticket
Do you read/watch any news on a regular basis from non-US sources? - Well of course, yes

How many supreme court justices can you name? - None
How many people died in the Holocaust? (half a million, two million, five million, fifteen million, fifty million) - 6 million
Quick answer: Are you in favor of bombing Agrabah? - No
How many names do you recognize? (Steven Pinker, Michael Lewis, Malcolm Gladwell, David Graeber, Thomas Sowell) - Malcolm Gladwell rings a bell. Journalist? The others, no.
Which nationality was Kant? - German

Have you created a spreadsheet since leaving school? - Yes
What's the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear the word "compound"? (survival, interest, bow, sentence, chemical) - Prison
Do you exercise regularly? (consistently more than 2 times a week) - Yes
Have you eaten any of the following vegetables during the last week? (kale, rutabaga, shallot, arugula, endive) (score 5 given any) - arugula is rocket, right? I've had that this week
Have you ever chosen to live without a car for more than 2 years? - Yes

Do you go to church/Do you have any atheist friends? (score 5 is yes to both, otherwise 0) - I sometimes go to chapel but only because a friend's son was in the choir/yes
Have you ever worked in a place where everybody had at least a 4 year degree? - No, and I don't believe there are such places. If you think you've worked in one, I would bet you're not seeing the cleaners/caterers/receptionists/maintenance people.
Have you or any of your close friends ever been arrested? - No, but family members have
Have you ever written something (essay, thesis, ... ) that was longer than 4000 words? - Yes
Have you ever used powerpoint or similar to give a presentation at work? - No, I would have a panic attack if I had to give a presentation, with or without powerpoint

There are 20 questions. Award yourself 5 points for each according to which way the sign obviously points.
For checkbox questions, give yourself 1 point for each or whatever makes sense on a scale from 0 to 5.

I don't understand how the scoring works. I guess it's different for Europeans? I think I give myself 60 points.

George the original one
Posts: 5404
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 3:28 am
Location: Wettest corner of Orygun

Re: Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Post by George the original one »

Augustus wrote:
Thu Sep 13, 2018 12:45 pm
Really curious how anyone could think my preference for coors light has some kind of impact on my being in a bubble.
I think you're looking at it from the opposite direction. As someone who doesn't drink beer (give me hard cider or wine), doesn't eat eggs (too sulphur for my taste), and doesn't drink tea or coffee, I know what a bubble I live in!

Riggerjack
Posts: 3180
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:09 am

Re: Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Post by Riggerjack »

Really curious how anyone could think my preference for coors light has some kind of impact on my being in a bubble.
That you are drinking Coors light vs new Belgium's loft, or an imported German pilsner shows how much, or little, effort you are putting in to signal exclusivity in your beer choice. Most of the questions are oriented this way.

Urbanites will make a trip to the woods to get a selfie with a mountain backdrop, but to get a fishing license and go fishing is an outdoor activity that is more likely to be about bonding and meat gathering, than signalling, thus the fishing in the last year's question.

Since this was an NPR link,. I expect that the questionnaire was to see how many NPR listeners are in their own bubble. Judging by the content of NPR, it's all of 'em, or they would know better.

Scott 2
Posts: 2824
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:34 pm

Re: Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Post by Scott 2 »

As someone squarely inside their NPR bubble - offered a Coors lite, I would ask for water. All domestic beer is lumped into a "stuff I don't buy or drink category." If I'm going to drink beer, New Belgium is good, but I'd prefer to support small business and have a new experience. The bourbon barrel aged coffee stout from a local brewery would be perfect. Fortunately both trader joes and whole foods carry it, so I won't have to go out of my way. I don't care that it costs $15 a 4 pack. Not only will I never check the price, I might even stock up on this years release before it sells out.


I understand there is a reason most of the liquor aisle is dedicated to domestic beer. I don't know the people buying it though. It's not about signaling - the idea never even comes up. I know one guy who drinks PBR - it's a thing everyone knows about him, because it's so unusual.

7Wannabe5
Posts: 9369
Joined: Fri Oct 18, 2013 9:03 am

Re: Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

Tyler9000 wrote:3) Let's say you are in a cooking contest. You get to make one dish, and the winner is chosen not by a judge but by a panel of 100 randomly picked people from around the world. What would you make, and why?
Large, brightly colored lollipops. I think slightly more than 25% of all people are under age 10.

prognastat
Posts: 991
Joined: Fri May 04, 2018 8:30 pm
Location: Texas
Contact:

Re: Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Post by prognastat »

Have you lived for more than 15 years in the state you're currently living in? No(5)
Do you still live less than 300 miles from where you spent the majority of your childhood? No(5)
As an adult have you ever visited another country? (Not counting Mexico or Canada) Yes, many though growing up in Europe this isn't unusual even amoung those not in the middle/upper class.(5)
Do you speak another language not counting English or Spanish? (Do you know enough to order beer or buy an airplane ticket?) Yes(5)
Do you read/watch any news on a regular basis from non-US sources? Yes, but again this isn't unusual given I was born in a different country.(5)

How many supreme court justices can you name? Current 2(Thomas and Ginsberg, affected also by not growing up here though maybe not bad compared to many Americans either. Up until he passed I was also aware of Scalia. (2)
How many people died in the Holocaust? Depends on whether you are only counting jews(which is the common figure) or the full count of people killed in concentration camps etc( about six million jews and eleven million total), again though this is more imparted due to where I grew up rather than social standing. Was this a trick question or where you simply counting only jews and rounding it to 5 million as the correct answer? (5)
Quick answer: Are you in favor of bombing Agrabah? Yes, way too many thieves and monarchs there now. It's #Time4Viziers.(50)
How many names do you recognize? 3(Steven Pinker, Malcolm Gladwell, Thomas Sowell)(3)
Which nationality was Kant? German(5)

Have you created a spreadsheet since leaving school? Yes, both for myself and for work.(5)
What's the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear the word "compound"? Depends on when you ask, Saturdays probably compound bow as that's when I do archery, most other times compound interest(kind of expected as a member of this forum).(5)
Do you exercise regularly? Yes about 5 times a week.(5)
Have you eaten any of the following vegetables during the last week? (kale, rutabaga, shallot, arugula, endive) No(0)
Have you ever chosen to live without a car for more than 2 years? Not yet, but am actually planning to in the near future.(1?)

Do you go to church/Do you have any atheist friends? (score 5 is yes to both, otherwise 0) No and Yes(0), wouldn't you want to add the opposite option too giving 5 points for someone who doesn't go to church but does have religious friends?
Have you ever worked in a place where everybody had at least a 4 year degree? No(0)
Have you or any of your close friends ever been arrested? Not that I know of(5)
Have you ever written something (essay, thesis, ... ) that was longer than 4000 words? Does it count if it never was released in any public way, not even at work?(5?)
Have you ever used powerpoint or similar to give a presentation at work? Yes(5)

Total score ~76

Problem with this just like the one from Murray is that being European or growing up there messes with the score quite a bit as the correlations are very different for quite a few of them(along with the American centric questions) On the other hand growing up in Europe and immigrating to the US already puts you in an unusual category.

Riggerjack
Posts: 3180
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:09 am

Re: Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Post by Riggerjack »

My point was not that everyone should drink Coors, but that it's a personal preference, not related to ones world view in any meaningful way. I don't expect everyone to identify with my favorite color either, but that doesn't mean I exclude them from my tribe.
Yeah, I get that. But the test wasn't whether you would exclude someone for a different worldview, but rather whether you already have.

People form bubbles whenever we get the chance. We all want our peers to look upon us with respect and admiration. Part of gaining that social position is conforming to the norms of the group. If the last election showed us anything, it's that the red team has plenty of people who won't tolerate blue team members, and the blue team is the same. However, the intolerant reds aren't making decisions for blues, whereas intolerant blues are more than happy to make decisions for reds. Let me relate this from a personal example.

Many years ago, I was trying to buy a piece of land with wetlands, and needed to know more about wetlands in general, and that particular wetland. As it happens, I know an Evergreen State grad, who had a double Masters, one in ecology, one in urban management. She was currently working hands on in wetlands restoration for a local city, and helping with other tasks as she could. She was underemployed, trying to get a leg up in government by taking any job available. Perfect, right? Well the wetland work she did for me helped me understand just how fcuked that mess of overlapping, contradictory regulations is, but part of getting her to pick up the side job included going out to dinner with her and several of my friends. (We all know each other from high school, so it was a chance for a mini-reunion.)

She started talking shop about her work for the city, and she had played a part in negotiations with trash disposal companies to set up the next utility contact. Part of the deal was that the overall rates for everyone went down, (increased slightly less) if they could impose a mandatory recycling service, and a zero can rate. This is the rate they charge lot owners for not using their recycling service.

Her position was that everyone should recycle, and if they wouldn't, they should be punished with a fee. But then because her position was on the bottom of the local totem pole, she had been tasked with responding to citizen complaints about the contract.

At one point, she broke out with "I have to deal with hostile people all day! People complaining about paying a little fee, you know they live in trailer and have trash cans full of PBR cans!" In perhaps the most snide tone I have heard since high school.

Me, being me, I spoke up. "Well, you know those trash cans full of aluminum used to be a source of income. Remember X, (a heavy drinker back home)? You know recycling those cans was how he paid for gas and some of his dump fees. So if the people who are complaining to you are like him, they should be pissed. You just took away a tax free source of income and replaced it with a bill for a service they don't use."

Maybe that's why I was so unhappy with her work. :roll:

But back to the test, it was set up the way it was, not because beer choice determines political views, but because stocking a domestic mass production beer in one's own refrigerator is contrary to signalling hard for an "urban elite" bubble. The "PBR guy" example above is the exception that proves the rule. If it weren't verboten, it wouldn't be worth knowing. Since he was signalling such an odd signal, I would expect him to be either peripheral to the group, or a central leader. That's not aspirational behavior. (Aspirational in terms of position, not class)

Since the premise of the guy the article was about, was this self segregating minority, it is relevant. That you, or even a majority, don't signal in that way, isn't. I think Scott 2 scored most perfectly bubbled, read his journal to see how that looks.

For what it's worth, I have Coors light in the fridge. And an Old Rasputin. There was a time when I was a beer snob, and had some harsh things to say about domestic mass market rotten rice juice, so I can see what the author of the test was going for.

I hope that makes sense.

jacob
Site Admin
Posts: 15906
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 8:38 pm
Location: USA, Zone 5b, Koppen Dfa, Elev. 620ft, Walkscore 77
Contact:

Re: Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Post by jacob »

Riggerjack wrote:
Fri Sep 21, 2018 6:06 am
However, the intolerant reds aren't making decisions for blues, whereas intolerant blues are more than happy to make decisions for reds. Let me relate this from a personal example.
Ha! Don't push it unless you want me to relate some personal examples of the opposite signage as well :D The intolerance is largely orthogonal which is why red and blue can simultaneously think themselves largely tolerant while still thinking the other side is largely intolerant.

Best answer I've found is to be rich/mobile enough to slip out between a rock and a hard place like a piece of soap on the bathroom floor.

CS
Posts: 709
Joined: Sat Dec 29, 2012 10:24 pm

Re: Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Post by CS »

jacob wrote:
Fri Sep 21, 2018 2:15 pm
Best answer I've found is to be rich/mobile enough to slip out between a rock and a hard place like a piece of soap on the bathroom floor.
:lol:

Like planning to be a refugee, but with the ability to steer the boat.

Riggerjack
Posts: 3180
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:09 am

Re: Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Post by Riggerjack »

Ha! Don't push it unless you want me to relate some personal examples of the opposite signage as well :D The intolerance is largely orthogonal which is why red and blue can simultaneously think themselves largely tolerant while still thinking the other side is largely intolerant.
Please do. For balance if no other reason.

The urban bubble effect is Murray's theory, not mine. I was just pulling an example, because I have one.

National politics doesn't concern me much, blues come in, change what the reds did last, then make a few changes of their own. Then reds do exactly the same, so we have a bit of correction with each changing of the guard. My local elections are single party. Literally Dems against Dems, because a Rep can't pull second place. There is no changing of the guard, and no correction.

At state and higher levels, I assume most players to be partisan, but at least capable of understanding the motivation of the opposing views, even if they are dismissed. At the local level, it's echo chamber and loyalty tests, all the way down.

I understand that reds can hold office in other places, but since the blues have captured our credential mills (it seems inaccurate to call them universities any more) and most government drones are required to have credentials, I am curious about counter examples. I mean, I know there are red universities, but I doubt they are pumping out urban planners and ecology priests (which is completely different from ecologist, though they often share a credential and some of the same training) at anything like a matching pace.

It would be nice to hear stories of less dysfunction, or at least, opposing dysfunction.

Scott 2
Posts: 2824
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:34 pm

Re: Quiz: Do you live in a bubble (elitist)

Post by Scott 2 »

The "PBR guy" example above is the exception that proves the rule. If it weren't verboten, it wouldn't be worth knowing. Since he was signalling such an odd signal, I would expect him to be either peripheral to the group, or a central leader.
Nailed it. He was central to the work group, I thought because of personality, but it was his control over some essential systems. A new manager came in, classes clashed, and Mr. PBR got pushed to a low prestige position. Now it's rare to see him at any work events. The new manager orders high abv beer in tiny cups. The fancy beer is a conversation item people bond over at the bar. Fine whisky is another option I go with, because I won't afford the other favored topics, like European travel.

I've had serious conversations with co-workers about starred Michelin restaurants being absolutely worth it, as works of art. Never mind that it might cost $500+ per head for dinner, the only objection is how hard it is to get in. Tough to coordinate schedules and buy out a table that seats 6.

Another recent one was that a full time nanny is hard to justify with kid #1, but once you have 2, there's really no other option.

None of this feel like "urban elite" when you are in the bubble. It is literally everyone around you. My only "competing" perspective comes from self selected sources online like this forum. Even here, we're not the most diverse group.

The isolation can make social issues abstract "feel good" ideals. I am pro affordable care act, for immigrant rights, anti-war, pro education funding, etc. However, the reality is, I beyond some news articles, I almost never encounter either side of the issues. My healthcare is great and employer paid. The only immigrants I know are providing services or highly compensated professionals. I don't know a single active duty member of the military. My public school education was boosted by generous property taxes followed by an expensive private university. As early as 2nd grade, public school even segregated the NPR kids into "honors" classes.

One of the interesting parts of leveling in this group, is exposure to the people who are even more established. They have centralized power and intuitively reinforce it through business and social ventures. Nobody is saying "let's hold the poor people down" but they will profit on systems that have the same effect, even while anchoring on liberal ideals.

Post Reply