Who’s Shaking the Jar?
There’s this viral story floating around the internet that goes something like this:
You put 100 black ants and 100 red ants in a jar. Nothing happens.
But shake the jar? Chaos. The ants start attacking each other, each thinking the other is the enemy.
The lesson?
The real enemy isn’t the ants. It’s the person shaking the jar.
That’s not just insect behavior. That’s human behavior, too.
Our Jar Is Being Shaken. Every. Single. Day.
Look at the data:
- Income inequality in the U.S. is at its highest level in 50 years (Pew Research, 2023).
- Social trust is collapsing. Only 26% of Americans say they trust other people, according to the General Social Survey.
- Mental health is deteriorating, especially among young adults. The CDC reported a 60% increase in anxiety and depression symptoms in those aged 18–34 from 2019 to 2023.
- And social media? It’s not helping. Studies from Harvard and Stanford show that increased time spent on social platforms is directly correlated with lower life satisfaction, especially when it comes to comparing income and appearance.
Suddenly, the person across the street isn’t just a neighbor. They’re a data point in your own internal self-worth algorithm.
And when that algorithm tells you you’re falling behind?
All while the one shaking the jar (looking at you, Meta and TikTok) profits from the chaos. planning.
Financial Planning in a Shaken Jar World
Clients come in feeling behind, even when they’re ahead. Why? Because someone they know just bought a second home, or posted about a luxury vacation. I call it “Financial Dysmorphia.” Like looking in a funhouse mirror: no matter how strong your financial plan is, it never feels good enough when the jar is constantly shaking around you.
“Keeping up with the Joneses” used to mean borrowing money to buy things you didn’t need to impress people you didn’t like.
- That “minor” lifestyle inflation? It’s why 51% of high-income earners in America are living paycheck to paycheck (LendingClub, 2024).
- That feeling of inadequacy that creeps in at night when you’re scrolling Zillow listings you can’t afford? That’s the jar again.
Do you want to travel more? Let’s make a plan.
Want to give your kids opportunity without spoiling them? That’s doable.
Because in the end, the people who win—financially and emotionally—are the ones who stop asking, “How do I look compared to them?”
And start asking, “Who keeps shaking my jar?”
Final Thought
If you’re feeling pulled in 10 different directions—emotionally, financially, socially—you’re not alone.
But before you start attacking yourself, your spouse, your coworkers, or your community, pause and ask:
Who benefits from my unrest?
Who’s profiting off my comparison?
Who’s shaking my jar?
Then unplug. Breathe. Plan with intention.
And maybe, just maybe, you’ll stop seeing red ants and black ants—and start seeing people again.
Sources
- Pew Research Center. “Trends in Income Inequality.” 2023. https://www.pewresearch.org
- General Social Survey (GSS), NORC at the University of Chicago. “Trust in Others Over Time.” 2022. https://gss.norc.org
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” 2023. https://www.cdc.gov
- Harvard Business Review. “How Social Media Affects Our Perception of Wealth.” 2021.
- Stanford University Department of Psychology. “Social Media Use and Subjective Well-Being.” 2022.
- LendingClub & PYMNTS. “Paycheck-to-Paycheck Report: High-Income Earners Living Paycheck to Paycheck.” January 2024. https://www.lendingclub.com/company/paycheck-to-paycheck-report
- American Psychological Association. “The Comparison Trap: How Social Media Affects Self-Esteem.” 2023. https://www.apa.org
Stock market calendar this week:
| Time (ET) | Report |
| MONDAY, JULY 14 | |
| None scheduled | |
| TUESDAY, JULY 15 | |
| 8:30 AM | Consumer price index |
| 8:30 AM | CPI year over year |
| 8:30 AM | Core CPI |
| 8:30 AM | Core CPI year over year |
| 8:30 AM | Empire State manufacturing survey |
| 9:15 AM | Fed Governor Michelle Bowman speech |
| 12:45 PM | Fed Governor Michael Barr speech |
| 2:45 PM | Boston Fed President Susan Collins speech |
| 6:45 PM | Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan speech |
| WEDNESDAY, JULY 16 | |
| 8:30 AM | Producer price index |
| 8:30 AM | Core PPI |
| 8:30 AM | PPI year over year |
| 8:30 AM | Core PPI year over year |
| 9:15 AM | Industrial production |
| 9:15 AM | Capacity utilization |
| 10:00 AM | Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr speech |
| 2:00 PM | Fed Beige Book |
| 6:30 PM | New York Fed President John Williams speech |
| THURSDAY, JULY 17 | |
| 8:30 AM | Initial jobless claims |
| 8:30 AM | U.S. retail sales |
| 8:30 AM | Retail sales minus autos |
| 8:30 AM | Import price index |
| 8:30 AM | Import price index minus fuel |
| 8:30 AM | Philadelphia Fed manufacturing survey |
| 10:00 AM | Business inventories |
| 10:00 AM | Home builder confidence index |
| 10:00 AM | Fed Governor Adriana Kugler speech |
| 12:45 PM | San Francisco Fed President Daly speaks |
| 1:30 PM | Fed Governor Lisa Cook speech |
| 6:30 PM | Fed Governor Christopher Waller speech |
| FRIDAY, JULY 18 | |
| 8:30 AM | Housing starts |
| 8:30 AM | Building permits |
| 10:00 AM | Consumer sentiment (prelim) |
Most anticipated earnings for this week
Did you miss our last blog?
The Sugar High of Hype: Why True Financial Planning Isn’t Sexy… But It Works
About Amit: I am a first generation American, the son of a working-class Indian family, and I lived through my parents’ struggle to find their place in this country, to put down roots that would sustain them as well as their children in a new land. As they encouraged me to excel in school and fostered my hobbies and interests, I was keenly aware of the dynamic between them. I understood that there was a difference between where they came from individually and where we were now. They worked hard in their individual capacities, but they weren’t always on the same page about financial issues – and that can make or break a family’s future. I didn’t know it at the time, but this laid the groundwork for my passion towards financial services and helping families succeed.