Does the UK begrudge success?

You are privileged in one sense. You were privately educated. That does not mean you were treated well, or were happy though. It sounds like you were very unhappy for whatever reason. I am sorry about that. I have known many privileged people be unhappy - the two are not mutually exclusive.

see, I would class you both as super rich. it is normal for the super rich to not see themselves as super rich. By definition, if you can pay half of the school fees of an independent school you are super rich.

But lots of super rich people have no idea how normal people live

@Viohh There seems a general sentiment that those who are successful must be humbled, so you get a variety of- ‘humble brag / making things up / mind your privilege and other resentful things.

People don't hate success. What people hate is the scurge the rich and privlidged have on our society. It's not that people can't be successful that's fine. But looking at the state of the country, people from privlidged backgrounds eg cabinet or many MPs, these types do a lot of damage to ordinary people. It's not about jealousy or anything like that for m. Hth.

This is a myth often peddled on here. Not every child in private school is super rich.

I'm a single parent, live in social housing and earn a below average income, topped up by UC and my child attends a private school on a 50% scholarship and bursary.

My friend and her husband earned average incomes and stayed in the flat they bought many years before children so they could send their sons to private school. They didn’t have a holiday for a decade, shared a car that was taped together and had both boys in one bedroom until they left secondary school.

No, I don’t think people here begrudge success. What many of us object to is ostentation.

Your parents appear to have made huge sacrifices for their children. That is to be applauded and is much to be grateful for. Enjoy your success, it sounds like you fully deserve it

My own parents themselves forgave holidays, nice clothes etc to send their kids to private schools (also corner shop owners).

There are millions of families who never go on holiday, live in over-crowded accommodation and would still never even be able to consider private school.

Surely you must know that?

Yes there is generally simmering resentment and people will say all sorts of nonsense to try and justify why x person is more successful than them. I earn an average wage in an average job that adds an average (if that even) amount of value to society; I don't begrudge those who have invested time and money into studying and working in stressful jobs with high levels of responsibility earning a decent wage. You tend to get well I work hard too but am on minimum wage, as if the self investment, sacrifice, skill level and responsibility of a retail worker is the same as a doctor therefore how dare doctors want to be paid more.

I think it boils down to jealousy but also that many conflate people saying x career is worth more than y as saying the person doing it is worth more which isn't the case. Sure there are fundamental societal issues and challenges for many that hold them back, but there's very much a race to the bottom in this country which is particularly unsavoury, especially as few are interested in helping change these factors.

only the super rich can send their children to private schools, and no, why would "the UK begrudge success"?