What Is Class? Part I

December 26th, 2008

by John R. Sedivy

Background
Cape CodIn starting Cape Cod Branding a concept that Amy and I discussed was that of class. The naming of Cape Cod Branding was purposeful in that Cape Cod denotes a certain level of sophistication and draws association with small upscale specialty boutiques as well as a world renowned vacation spot for the wealthy. The branding aspect is meant to connote a certain level of business knowledge and convey this to our customers. This article launches the first of a two part series titled What is Class? In Part I I discuss the concept of class and in Part II class will be defined as well as a practical example provided.

What is Class?
SophisticationWhat exactly is class?  I would like you to ponder the following questions relating to class:

  1. Is it the amount of wealth one possesses?
  2. The level of formal academic education achieved by an individual?
  3. An individual’s pedigree or upbringing?

I have found the class question to be a tough nut to crack and have had countless hours of discussion with Amy concerning this topic and will provide our conclusions.

While reflecting on this topic I found myself drawing upon my past experiences and those of my business partner to answer this question.

Wealth and Class
Material WealthDoes wealth define class? While cataloging the individuals I had known with wealth there were some I would consider classy, while others were most assuredly not. Conversely, I know of individuals considered poor by material standards but who I consider contain much class.

Education and Class
Ivy LeagueWhat about formal education – does this indicate class? Again, as with the wealth aspect, I have found that education does not define class. In my travels I have had the good fortune of interacting with a wide range of individuals from high school dropouts to those educated within the Ivy League. As with the wealth test, I could not surmise a direct correlation between education and class.

Pedigree and Class
PedigreeSurely then, one’s pedigree or upbringing must indicate class. As with the other aspects, not necessarily. I have witnessed that those with a “proper” upbringing can perhaps erect a facade of class, however those in the know (either raised or self taught) will easily pierce this, regardless of upbringing.

To Be Continued…
In Part II I give you the answer of how I define class based upon my experience and provide an example of class.

Class is an elusive quality and not easily defined!

-John R. Sedivy of Cape Cod Branding

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3 Responses to “What Is Class? Part I”

  1. The Dumbest Person In The Room at on January 2, 2009 8:43 am

    [...] While writing What Is Class? Parts I and II, I had almost gone down the path of discussing “The Dumbest Person In The Room” concept, [...]

  2. Web Traffic Summary, December 2008 | CCBbuzz.com, Personal Development for Entrepreneurs on January 30, 2009 8:29 am

    [...] we are slackers, who gave us permission to take a day off anyway? And on December 26th we posted “What Is Class Part I”. As content was our major driver for success, perhaps it may have caused a dip in [...]

  3. What is Class? Part II | CCBbuzz.com, Personal Development for Entrepreneurs on March 8, 2009 9:29 pm

    [...] In Part I of this series I discussed the concept of class. I determined that in my opinion, class was not [...]

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