In the 1920s rising prosperity turned Americans from a nation of producers to a nation of consumers. This simple shift has convinced all Americans to this day that they are middle-class.
“Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the overcompensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn’t nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand.”
Aldous Huxley | Brave New World