Instrumentally, upgrading your class seems like a powerful intervention, so it is really surprising when someone allegedly trying to “optimize their life” is selectively ignorant about this. Moving to a higher class would probably have more impact that all meditation and modafinil combined.
I think it depends on what exactly you’re optimizing your life for. Generally, being surrounded by people who are not in your class is very unpleasant, so you find the class that you belong to and settle in there.
Isusr mentioned previously, for example, that intellectualism is a middle class trait. Moving upwards into a class that doesn’t value intellectualism would make my life significantly worse. Instead, I strive for status within my class and have no intention of surpassing it.
So this is a write-up of discussion points brought up at a meetup, it’s not intended to be a comprehensive overview about every single thing about social class.
That being said, we did go into Marxist theory a little, but mostly to talk about how it’s now pretty common to be wealthy without owning any productive capital, whether or not actors and athletes can be said to own any productive capital, and the new kerfuffle surrounding California’s new bill to allow college athletes to earn an income.