Why do we think it’s so impolite to discuss money?

If you grew up in a similar culture to mine, it was instilled in you from an early age that it wasn’t proper to discuss money in mixed company. And I still believe in some of that. You never want to boast in front of someone or brag about how much money you make in front of someone who might be struggling. That’s just common decency. But there is a difference between that and openly discussing your wages with people who might benefit from that information. I am a fan of discussing money with my friends as a way to gauge what’s normal and what might not be. If all of your friends are making more money than you in similar fields, then it might cause you to look around and ask for more. But even more than your friends, your coworkers might have some relevant info about pay. 

Discussing wages with your coworkers might be uncomfortable, but it is bound to come up, and it can help you better understand where you fit into the ecosystem and where you stand among each other. It might even make you realize something you wish you could have avoided. But knowledge is power, and the more you know, the better off you are. But sometimes the truth hurts, and it just might make you rethink everything you thought you knew. That’s what happened to this employee after they had a discussion with their coworkers.