BOBOS Bourgeoisie: The Rise of a New Social Class: The Rise of a New Social Class

Author: David Brooks
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-10-01
Features: Following the hippies and yuppies, the modern urban "trendy" group is the "bobo." On the surface, they excel in bourgeois petite-bourgeois behavior, while privately longing for the nomadic, free, and adventurous Bohemian lifestyle. Since its publication in the US in 1999, the book has achieved remarkable sales and sparked worldwide discussion on this topic! Harvard Business Review's Top 10 Books! New York Times Best Seller! If they have money and are not bound by class, status, morality, or social norms, enjoying both material and spiritual freedom, then isn't this the perfect life? Their critique of capitalism has become past tense for them, as they may call themselves heroes of anti-capitalism or prove that capitalism is not the only way to survive. Bobos are not measured by wealth; wealth gives them freedom, but they do not excessively pursue it. So, even if you are not wealthy, you can still embrace the bobo lifestyle. Some say that the greatest achievement of the bobos is their successful practice of a lifestyle that combines material success with spiritual independence, freedom, and rebellion. They have entered their own paradise—no longer enslaved by money, no longer believing in authority. Young intellectuals no longer complain that their meager salaries mock their professional achievements. Bobos view their work as a spiritual creation. They work hard to earn money but never believe money is above all, and it never occupies the entirety of their lives. In today's boundaryless society and culture, bourgeois and Bohemian souls have mixed together. You may be amazed at how these new-generation elites combine the anti-traditional spirit of the 1960s with the sense of achievement of the 1980s "successful people." The elite of the modern new economic society, who combine the rebellious 1960s hippie culture with the ambitious 1980s yuppies—both holding entirely different values—have a strong yearning for the freedom and detachment of the hippies in their pursuit of leisure and spiritual life. They enjoy the conveniences brought by civilization but prefer the rustic nature; at night, they party in bars, while during the day, they work cautiously and professionally in their personal workspace.