I'd say its one of the more general aspects of human nature.
This is a grim start to a Sunday morning, were you up late with Tail-Gunner Joe's favorite beverages?
Because one of the central class attitudes of the American uppers is laughing at the downfall of the successful.I'd say its one of the more general aspects of human nature.
I might as well make a notation about this. The uppers in democratic society not only make laughing at the mistakes or specific failures of high achievers part of their way of life, but they also use these specific incidents to overgeneralize into a prejudice concerning any public hero. They also tend to exert this attitude at certain characteristic times - like when "their" home team loses the state championship.
This attitude tends to be covered up by an air of syrupy 'sympathy' or else cloaked in a mask of 'disinterest'. These are the two most used cover-ups.
If you heard recently that "Canadians despise success," here's why it seems to be so: The Canadian uppers act like yours, only we're more under the thumb of ours than you are of yours; no-one dared link the "be satisfied with your personal best" philosophy pushed in the 1970s with Prime Minister Trudeau's upper-class origins. If they had, then Trudeau's public musings would have been examined a little more critically.
Irregardless of what nation we're talking about, though, the above explains why the upper class has a natural affiliation with Wall Street, or Canada's Bay Street. Sad as it sounds, a bitter attitude towards other people's success tends to make you a better investor than Main Street optimism does.
I can't really think of a wisecrack to end this one. It looks like the whole topic is too draining.