Perception verses Reality

Coming into work this morning, I heard that 70% of all Hip Hop related sales (tickets, merchandise and the like) are bought by white people. That is reality. Perception is quite different. Granted, I grew up in the 80s, so I like God-awful music. Why, because I grew up and had my preferences set in an unfortunate time in the history of music. I will admit I don't get Hip Hop, but I have read some lyrics, and the lyrics are very good.

Then we get into other areas that surprise me – for instance, I figure I pay "my fair share" of taxes to help fund our government. Wrong-o. Well, maybe my fair share (don’t want Uncle Sam to hound me down), but people in my income range don’t pay much of what it takes to keep the government humming. I read somewhere (don’t look this up, I am guessing here) that the top 1% of income earners pay about 40% of all individual taxes paid, and the top 5% pays like 80% of all taxes paid. What I don't know is how people who get money back (not from withholding, but with credits like Earned Income Credit) are counted. Regardless, the super-rich pay most of the income taxes (social security tax is another story).

Women earn less than men for the same job. I have even written about it here. Guess what, kiddos, I was wrong. I always thought perhaps that "years experience" was not figured into the studies I have read about, but that is not the case. Women tend to take time off during the child-bearing years. You know, guys, you knock us up and we have to take time off to care for the bundles of joy. Well, our hormones are partly responsible – guess we get all maternal and away we go. I heard that a recent study was done that took "hours worked" and other factors (amount of risk, for instance), and well, it looks like women may be better paid than men for certain work. Crap. One less thing to bitch about.

Now, the cynic in me is thinking half of these managers who are logging in long hours at work are simply nailing their secretaries and should not be compensated for the effort (well, depending on the performance, perhaps they should be compensated). Again, perception is that women are not as highly compensated for the same work – reality, damn, it seems we are!

Perception, often, is more important than reality. But sometimes it is just wrong!