luxury belief

English

Etymology

Coined by American writer and conservative political commentator Rob Henderson in 2019.

Noun

luxury belief (plural luxury beliefs)

  1. (derogatory) A viewpoint that is held predominantly by members of the upper class that is detrimental to members of the lower class. Such a viewpoint is typically held as a form of status and bears little cost to the upper class.
    • 2024 March 20, Veronique de Rugy, “The Political Right Has Luxury Beliefs, Too”, in Reason[1]:
      The luxury beliefs Henderson witnessed were a way to signal and maintain elite status by supporting social concepts or policies that sounded empathetic. Yet in reality, they made life worse for those at the bottom rungs of society. [] But the New Right's embrace of destructive economic policies meets the definition of luxury belief in just about every way: It's self-serving and counterproductive, designed to elevate one's personal status without regard to the practical consequences for those with less power and privilege in the world.

See also