# What's your income? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 17, 2012, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-income/644305 "2012-12-17T14:41:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-income/644305/41 "2012-12-17T21:44:14Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > But it’s an anonymous message board. How could it matter? No, no it is not that anonymous, necessarily. Many posters provide personal information - email addresses, home pages, facebook, location, employers, nuggets of information in posts and so on. Either intentionally or inadvertently…but the information is out there, quite often. ---
**Author:** ![Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emtar_KronJonDerSohn)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-income/644305/42 "2012-12-17T21:47:32Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > It’s the money I make at my job, plus whatever extra I bring in through prizefighting and riverboat gambling. Prizefighting purses and riverboat gambling takes count?!? Damn, I’ve got to amend my returns… ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-income/644305/43 "2012-12-17T22:12:24Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Many posters here are absolutely not anonymous, especially those promoting their current/past works, some going through intensely personal battles with illness or other health problems, etc. > [@chiroptera](#): > > Many posters provide personal information - email addresses, home pages, facebook, location, employers, nuggets of information in posts and so on. Either intentionally or inadvertently…but the information is out there, quite often. But why the need to treat the rest of us (who _are_ anonymous and _don’t_ provide bits of personal information in posts) like we’re morons? Why can’t the decision to either disclose this information or not simply be up to the poster, without all of this “wow, you’d have to be a real dummy to ask/answer this question” stuff? > [@zoid](#): > > Do you honestly believe that it doesn’t have an impact? It’s not that anyone may think more or less of you but I can certainly see someone thinking “What do you know, you _have_ money :rolleyes:” or alternately “You can’t understand, you don’t know what people like us with money are burdened with”. > > Even subconsciously people make value judgments every day. I’d prefer to be judged on the content of my posts and to judge others likewise. But money comes up in other posts, too. There are plenty of things I disclose about myself in the course of general conversations here that people can – and do – make judgements about: I don’t see how my income is any more or less sensitive than the rest of it. Besides, the opinion of anyone who would think something like that (without knowing anything else about me) isn’t worth worrying about. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-income/644305/44 "2012-12-17T22:22:50Z")
> [@IceQube](#): > > The only thing that’s stupid is how you guys have such inflated senses of self-importance that you somehow that an estimate of your annual income, attached to your screen name on the SDMB, is inimical to your privacy. Then why is the answer interesting to you? Why does it need to be a public poll. The knife cuts both ways. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-income/644305/45 "2012-12-17T22:28:49Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > But **why the need to treat the rest of us (who _are_ anonymous and _don’t_ provide bits of personal information in posts) like we’re morons?** Why can’t the decision to either disclose this information or not simply be up to the poster, without all of this “wow, you’d have to be a real dummy to ask/answer this question” stuff? > > . Who is doing that? (Bolding mine.) Seriously. Who? Some people - including me - are questioning the overall utility of a public poll for this topic. Also it might serve as a heads-up for the few here who are naive and tend to over-share. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-income/644305/46 "2012-12-17T22:34:53Z")
Income = food Outgo = shit. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-income/644305/47 "2012-12-17T22:36:16Z")
> [@Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](#): > > Prizefighting purses and riverboat gambling takes count?!? Damn, I’ve got to amend my returns… Don’t forget, if you do so you can claim your moustache wax as an expense. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-income/644305/48 "2012-12-17T22:37:33Z")
We should have been asked whether we’re retired, and what was our income when we were working. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-income/644305/49 "2012-12-17T22:38:47Z")
It fluctuates a little bit depending on my profit share, but I can confidently say it’s between one and one billion dollars. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-income/644305/50 "2012-12-17T22:58:17Z")
Woulda voted in this public poll had there been a “very fucking poor” option. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-income/644305/51 "2012-12-17T23:13:24Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > Besides, the opinion of anyone who would think something like that (without knowing anything else about me) isn’t worth worrying about. Ah I see, you’re better than everyone else and never make subconscious judgments, got it. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-income/644305/52 "2012-12-18T14:00:18Z")
I think it’s kind of funny how people will be so protective of information like their salary or income but will willingly share stories of other personal things, like how and how frequently they masturbate and have sex, bathroom habits, admit to doing embarrassing things in their youth, etc. I know not everyone shares that kind of information, but it seems that people are more vocal about their reluctance to share their income than about most other things that are generally considered private. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-income/644305/53 "2012-12-18T15:24:08Z")
> [@IceQube](#): > > The only thing that’s stupid is how you guys have such inflated senses of self-importance that you somehow that an estimate of your annual income, attached to your screen name on the SDMB, is inimical to your privacy. So you insult people for not voting in your public poll and yet you didn’t vote either. There is a word for that, it’s right on the tip of my tongue. So what is your income? Not that I think you’ll tell the truth but what the hell. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-income/644305/54 "2012-12-18T15:27:27Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > I don’t get it: why is it bad if y’all know that my annual income is between $100,000-109,999\*? 😕 > > \*Since I already responded to the poll. Because now anyone who makes from $0 - 99,999 thinks you’re a rich asshole and anyone who makes $110,000 or more thinks you’re a loser!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-income/644305/55 "2012-12-18T15:34:04Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > So you insult people for not voting in your public poll and yet you didn’t vote either. Yes, he did. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-income/644305/56 "2012-12-18T15:51:59Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Yes, he did. You sure? I see it now but I checked several times and saw nothing before. If I somehow missed it, my apologies. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-income/644305/57 "2012-12-18T15:53:14Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > You sure? I see it now but I checked several times and saw nothing before. If I somehow missed it, my apologies. It was there yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-income/644305/58 "2012-12-18T15:58:08Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > I think it’s kind of funny how people will be so protective of information like their salary or income but will willingly share stories of other personal things, like how and how frequently they masturbate and have sex, bathroom habits, admit to doing embarrassing things in their youth, etc. I know not everyone shares that kind of information, but it seems that people are more vocal about their reluctance to share their income than about most other things that are generally considered private. It is odd. It seems to me that coyness about money simply makes more sense in our society. Many of us have shed our inhibitions in other areas - like sex and relationships - but not about money. Perhaps because, in our society, money is simply seen as more truly significant a measure of self-worth and competition vs. others? And an area where it is easier to be taken advantage of? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-income/644305.md?page=2)