People believe they belong in the middle of society even though they are top earners. This leads to wrong political decisions. There’s only one way out: paychecks on the table.
If you are reading this text, you are probably rich. Or at least a lot richer than you think. Because the average reader of Süddeutsche Zeitung according to a survey, has a Net household income of 4665 euros. If you live as a couple with this income, only 19 percent of the population have a higher income than you, like a very clear and easy-to-use calculator from the IW Cologne spits out. If you live on the salary alone, 95 percent of the people are poorer than you. In other words: Only five percent of people earn more than you. So, as the average reader of this newspaper, you are smart, of course. And by definition, perhaps surprisingly, more or less: rich. At least when wealth is measured by income, not wealth.