I always wished people would be more open about these things (both salary and expenses) because I think it would make it much easier for me to figure out how I’m supposed to do things. People tend to be pretty quiet about these things, or maybe it’s just that I’m scared to ask because I was taught not to and I’m scared that it’s rude to ask. But I always wish people would be more open, because I feel like it makes it so much easier for me to figure out how to manage if I have some idea how others are managing. How can I know what’s a normal salary or a normal amount to spend on things if I don’t know what others do?
I do think that in EY, people are more likely to be open about these things. In more materialistic societies, people are more likely to consider it a personal topic because they define themselves by how much money they make and they think that it’s a chisaron if someone doesn’t make so much money. In less materialistic societies (such as in EY), people don’t place value judgments on others based on how much they earn, so it is less likely to be considered personal.