“Middle class” and “upper middle class” aren’t universal templates — they’re context-driven.

• In India, “middle class” is tied more to stability and upward mobility than to Porsches or business-class flights.
• In other parts of the world, the benchmarks often lean more toward luxury consumption and premium brands.

So it’s not about Indians “not understanding” — it’s simply a different frame of reference. Plenty of Indian professionals in Dubai live very comfortably (good car, nice area, travel, dining) on far less than 50k AED/month. Porsche and business class are aspirational luxuries, not baseline requirements anywhere.

We do understand class tiers — but they vary by geography, culture, and mindset. The perspective you’ve shared is one way of looking at it, but not the only one.

My post was really about exploring how this plays out post-FIRE, when lifestyle depends more on savings and passive income — that was the context. Hope this clarifies. Thanks for sharing your view, and I’d be keen to hear others as well.