Real People: Why "Ordinary" vs. "Powerful" Is a Lie

Send us Fan MailWe've all used the phrase "real people" — meaning the regular folks, the everyday ones, as opposed to the famous, the wealthy, the powerful. But what if that whole distinction is a lie? This week, I'm pulling apart the binary between "ordinary" and "extraordinary" — sharing a story from my own childhood, a lesson from my years writing public policy, and some genuinely surprising research on what actually makes us alike. Spoiler: the line between you and a billionaire is a lot thinner than either of you think. Grab your coffee — this one's personal. Quote of the Week “If it’s not accessible to the poor, it is neither radical nor revolutionary” Citations·       Witherspoon, D.J., Wooding, S., Rogers, A.R., et al. (2007). Genetic similarities within and between human populations. Genetics, 176(1), 351–359. https://doi.org/10.1534/genetics.106.067355·       Ekman, P., Friesen, W.V., O'Sullivan, M., et al. (1987). Universals and cultural differences in the judgments of facial expressions of emotion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(4), 712–717. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3681648/·       Systematic review (2025) of 21 peer-reviewed studies (1972–2024) on cultural differences in the production of emotional facial expressions. PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12907163/·       Killingsworth, M.A. (2024). Money and Happiness: Extended Evidence Against Satiation. Happiness Science. https://happiness-science.org/money-happiness-satiation/·       Killingsworth, M.A., Kahneman, D., Mellers, B. (2023). Income and emotional well-being: A conflict resolved. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120. (referenced in CBC coverage: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/costofliving/money-can-buy-happiness-1.7107592)·       "If it's not accessible to the poor, it is neither radical nor revolutionary" — widely circulated activist quote since at least 2016; original source unattributed. Let’s go, let’s get it done.Get more information at: http://projectweightloss.org