As a therapist, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with clients from all over the world, and from a very wide variety of economic backgrounds. These days, a lot of my clients are what I call 3 percenters.
Who are the 3 percenters?
- Individuals who make 100k or more annually are in the top 3% of the American income.
- Households with a combined annual income of 285k or more are also in the top 3%.
What are their issues?
Nearly constant worry about money.
They don’t fear starving or being homeless, but “losing face.” They are anxious about losing social status if they have to downsize, move to a less prestigious neighborhood, send the kids to public school, etc.
Working long hours.
60 plus weekly is fairly common. 3 percenters often don’t know how to relax. Many want to avoid home life.
Job dissatisfaction.
3 percenters tend to choose careers based on income and social prestige–not because they love the work. Someone who opens a family restaurant because they are passionate about food, is very different from someone who purchases a chain of restaurants as an “investment.”
Work hard, play hard.
This is the unspoken motto for many 3 percenters, which results in a lot of heavy drinking and drug usage during “downtime.” This is like not watering a plant for six days, then drenching it for 24 hours straight on day seven.
If you’re a 3 percenter, more money is rarely the answer. If you’re not a 3 percenter, more money is still rarely the answer. Then what is? Now that’s a good question . . .
About the Author: James Robbins is a licensed professional counselor, published author and co-owner of Dallas Whole Life Counseling. He has over 15 years of experience helping people in various life stages that come from a wide variety of cultural, economic and family backgrounds. Learn more about his background by clicking here.
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