Therevulsionfeltbygoodpeopleatanyproposeddeparturefromtheacceptedmethodsoflifeisafamiliarfactofeverydayexperience。Itisnotunusualtohearthosepersonswhodispensesalutaryadviceandadmonitiontothecommunityexpressthemselvesforciblyuponthefar-reachingperniciouseffectswhichthecommunitywouldsufferfromsuchrelativelyslightchangesasthedisestablishmentoftheAnglicanChurch，anincreasedfacilityofdivorce，adoptionoffemalesuffrage，prohibitionofthemanufactureandsaleofintoxicatingbeverages，abolitionorrestrictionofinheritances，etc。Anyoneoftheseinnovationswould，wearetold，“shakethesocialstructuretoitsbase，““reducesocietytochaos，““subvertthefoundationsofmorality，““makelifeintolerable，““confoundtheorderofnature，“etc。Thesevariouslocutionsare，nodoubt，ofthenatureofhyperbole；but，atthesametime，likealloverstatement，theyareevidenceofalivelysenseofthegravityoftheconsequenceswhichtheyareintendedtodescribe。Theeffectoftheseandlikeinnovationsinderangingtheacceptedschemeoflifeisfelttobeofmuchgraverconsequencethanthesimplealterationofanisolatediteminaseriesofcontrivancesfortheconvenienceofmeninsociety。Whatistrueinsoobviousadegreeofinnovationsoffirst-rateimportanceistrueinalessdegreeofchangesofasmallerimmediateimportance。Theaversiontochangeisinlargepartanaversiontothebotherofmakingthereadjustmentwhichanygivenchangewillnecessitate；
andthissolidarityofthesystemofinstitutionsofanygivencultureorofanygivenpeoplestrengthenstheinstinctiveresistanceofferedtoanychangeinmen’shabitsofthought，eveninmatterswhich，takenbythemselves，areofminorimportance。
Aconsequenceofthisincreasedreluctance，duetothesolidarityofhumaninstitutions，isthatanyinnovationcallsforagreaterexpenditureofnervousenergyinmakingthenecessaryreadjustmentthanwouldotherwisebethecase。Itisnotonlythatachangeinestablishedhabitsofthoughtisdistasteful。Theprocessofreadjustmentoftheacceptedtheoryoflifeinvolvesadegreeofmentaleffort——amoreorlessprotractedandlaboriousefforttofindandtokeepone’sbearingsunderthealteredcircumstances。Thisprocessrequiresacertainexpenditureofenergy，andsopresumes，foritssuccessfulaccomplishment，somesurplusofenergybeyondthatabsorbedinthedailystruggleforsubsistence。Consequentlyitfollowsthatprogressishinderedbyunderfeedingandexcessivephysicalhardship，nolesseffectuallythanbysuchaluxuriouslifeaswillshutoutdiscontentbycuttingofftheoccasionforit。Theabjectlypoor，andallthosepersonswhoseenergiesareentirelyabsorbedbythestrugglefordailysustenance，areconservativebecausetheycannotaffordtheeffortoftakingthoughtforthedayaftertomorrow；justasthehighlyprosperousareconservativebecausetheyhavesmalloccasiontobediscontentedwiththesituationasitstandstoday。
Fromthispropositionitfollowsthattheinstitutionofaleisureclassactstomakethelowerclassesconservativebywithdrawingfromthemasmuchasitmayofthemeansofsustenance，andsoreducingtheirconsumption，andconsequentlytheiravailableenergy，tosuchapointastomakethemincapableoftheeffortrequiredforthelearningandadoptionofnewhabitsofthought。Theaccumulationofwealthattheupperendofthepecuniaryscaleimpliesprivationatthelowerendofthescale。Itisacommonplacethat，whereveritoccurs，aconsiderabledegreeofprivationamongthebodyofthepeopleisaseriousobstacletoanyinnovation。
Thisdirectinhibitoryeffectoftheunequaldistributionofwealthissecondedbyanindirecteffecttendingtothesameresult。Ashasalreadybeenseen，theimperativeexamplesetbytheupperclassinfixingthecanonsofreputabilityfostersthepracticeofconspicuousconsumption。Theprevalenceofconspicuousconsumptionasoneofthemainelementsinthestandardofdecencyamongallclassesisofcoursenottraceablewhollytotheexampleofthewealthyleisureclass，butthepracticeandtheinsistenceonitarenodoubtstrengthenedbytheexampleoftheleisureclass。Therequirementsofdecencyinthismatterareveryconsiderableandveryimperative；sothatevenamongclasseswhosepecuniarypositionissufficientlystrongtoadmitaconsumptionofgoodsconsiderablyinexcessofthesubsistenceminimum，thedisposablesurplusleftoverafterthemoreimperativephysicalneedsaresatisfiedisnotinfrequentlydivertedtothepurposeofaconspicuousdecency，ratherthantoaddedphysicalcomfortandfullnessoflife。