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Pulling Up the Ladder

A social phenomenon in which individuals or groups who have successfully advanced in status, wealth, or opportunity then act to block others from accessing the same path upward.

Key Features:

Motivated by fear of competition, scarcity mindset, or desire to protect hard-won status.

Can manifest in politics (e.g., immigrants opposing immigration), economics (e.g., professionals gatekeeping their fields), or class mobility (e.g., elites dismantling welfare or education programs they once benefited from).

Example (fictional): Raymond Leon in the movie "In Time" rises out of poverty to become a Timekeeper but enforces the very system that traps others where he once was.
Example (real): An immigrant who gained citizenship but campaigns to restrict immigration for others.
1. After becoming wealthy through public education, the politician now opposes funding for schools, effectively pulling up the ladder behind him.

2. Some immigrants, once they gain citizenship, support restrictive immigration policies — a classic case of pulling up the ladder.
by Social Climber September 16, 2025
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If Bob Clenedin Express To Angel Hellstrom Jose Robles That The Idea Symbol Is A Direcotr Chair One More Time, I will Dedicate My Life To Lance At A Vagina Then Become A Pick Up Artist
If Bob Clenedin Express To Angel Hellstrom Jose Robles That The Idea Symbol Is A Direcotr Chair One More Time, I will Dedicate My Life To Lance At A Vagina Then Become A Pick Up Artist
by Angel234IsTheDarkSeraphim April 15, 2025
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jacked up on butter

A term used when you eat so much mother fuckin better that you preform a persevere that involves ripping the butter sticks out of your asshole than deepthroughting them until you choke and die
Yo that fag just got jacked up on butter!
by Ppinme69 March 19, 2015
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Shrugged Up

Getting a sick shoulder/upper body pump and looking sexy doing it
I’m gettin Shrugged Up with this freaky pump
by Elv1Z November 22, 2023
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hold up L

if you hold up L you’re madly obsessed with rihanna no questions asked
for example, if jake hold up L he’s obsessed with rihanna
by hahdyhhd August 22, 2023
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What’s up

Something ONLY TEENAGERS say because If older people say it it’s NOT cool
by Yeet1234567891011121314151617 January 28, 2019
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