Choosing to study a liberal arts degree, or work for a not-for-profit, or not ask for a raise because it’s scary, are all choices. Similarly, changing your degree, aggressively pushing for more money, and taking a job in finance you that doesn’t make you feel emotionally fulfilled, are all choices. In the same way that giving a large % is a property of Claire that she deserves credit for, so to is earning a lot a property of Flo that she deserves credit for.
Of course this is correct, and I think it’s important to treat it as something of a virtue. But we typically have less control over the amount we earn than over the proportion we give, so it seems sensible to give less credit for it. Unfortunately that’s an extremely nuanced position which is hard to communicate effectively.
I guess one way of thinking about it is that changing the % is easier than changing the income then, and we should allocate our scarce status resources to the low-hanging fruit.
Of course this is correct, and I think it’s important to treat it as something of a virtue. But we typically have less control over the amount we earn than over the proportion we give, so it seems sensible to give less credit for it. Unfortunately that’s an extremely nuanced position which is hard to communicate effectively.
I guess one way of thinking about it is that changing the % is easier than changing the income then, and we should allocate our scarce status resources to the low-hanging fruit.