The Composure Class and Their Lifestyle

Key Economic Insight

The Composure Class emerged after periods of financial volatility, earning their wealth through meritocratic advancement rather than speculative finance. They achieved success by excelling academically, building strong social networks, and joining esteemed companies, medical practices, or firms. This class projects an image of effortless perfection, exemplified by their asexually handsome appearance with minimal body fat, calm demeanor, and a voice described as 'someone walking in socks on a Persian carpet.' They engage in activities such as corporate board meetings and philanthropy, like a 500-mile bike-a-thon to combat lactose intolerance.

Their family lives reflect this elite status, with marriages often forged at high-profile events like the Clinton Global Initiative, based on shared interests in global causes, yoga, and academic achievements such as Fulbright Scholarships. Their children, given names like Effortless Brilliance, Global Compassion, and Artistically Gifted, attend proudly progressive private high schools and intern at German science labs. They excel in obscure sports like lacrosse, a game adopted by the educated class after they could no longer dominate mainstream sports. These offspring pursue selective higher education at institutions like Duke and Stanford, leading to prestigious careers, for example, as a chief economist at the World Bank after a stint with the Joffrey Ballet.

Members of this class cultivate specific social and consumption patterns, which include making others feel inferior despite their sincerity and modesty. Weekends are spent at nine-bedroom mansions, accessed via private planes where luggage need not close, reflecting a 'sumptuary code' that prioritizes lavish spending on durables over spartan consumables. For instance, guests might fly on a multimillion-dollar Gulfstream 5 but be served a naked turkey slice sandwich on stale Safeway bread or 'Hunger Strike Lunches' consisting of 'four lettuce shards and three grams of tuna salad'. Their gigantic, bear-like dogs are often named after Jane Austen characters, and weekend conversations fluidly combine strenuous activities with surveys of global economics and anecdotes about famous friends like Rupert, Warren, and the Dalai Lama, often culminating in public strolls where their perceived perfection evokes spontaneous applause.