While all of these forces were pulling and tugging on national economies, a fascinating cultural evolution occurred in the late twentieth century. Leaving out the extreme ends of the income spectrum (billionaires and their millionaire friends, along with the poor on the other end), the cultural emphasis shifted from luxury to busyness. People stopped bragging about their flat-screen TVs and started “complaining” about their packed schedules. Status was awarded not because you had an iPhone; everyone seemed to have an iPhone. Instead, people earned respect according to how little free time they
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