Someone who buys a more expensive watch or car to climb up the social ladder forces other social climbers to spend more to stay ahead.

ECONOMIST: Free exchange

You see unlimited opportunities here, non-stop new construction, and a steady stream of migrants from the surrounding hinterlands who are motivated to climb their way up the social ladder.

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It also offered a leg-up for the rural masses to climb the social ladder.

ECONOMIST: The Turkish army

His progress up the ladder of the Klan was an attempt to climb out of the social class he had been born into.

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While a little compassion might help us climb the social ladder, once we're at the top we end up morphing into a very different kind of beast.

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