From a Proper Double Chin to Wellness Culture: How the Symbol of Freedom Changed
- The Chairman
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 23 hours ago
By Robert W. Sutton — Politically Conservative Financial Educator
Back When a Double Chin Meant Freedom
There was a time — not long ago in the sweep of history — when a “proper double chin” was something to admire. It meant you weren’t starving. It meant you had enough money to eat well, to rest, to live above the struggle of survival.
In Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye sings of his wife Golde, “looking like a rich man’s wife, with a proper double chin.” That wasn’t mockery — it was love. It was his dream of abundance, security, and freedom from want. He wasn’t asking for yachts and furs. He was praying for dignity — for enough.
That lyric is more than a clever line from a Broadway song.
It’s a mirror to the times when freedom was defined simply as having enough to live without fear.
The Economic Truth Behind the Beauty Standard
In Tevye’s world, being thin wasn’t fashionable — it was dangerous.
If you were thin, you were probably poor. You were working the fields, skipping meals, and praying for a better harvest.
A double chin symbolized:
Security — You had food for the winter.
Leisure — You didn’t labor under the sun all day.
Status — You could rest, reflect, and provide for your family.
In other words, wealth didn’t just buy things — it bought time, health, and freedom from exhaustion.
The Great Reversal
Fast forward to today — the script has flipped.
Now, wealth shows itself in control — clean eating, private gyms, wellness retreats, time to meditate.
Where once abundance meant fullness, today abundance means discipline.
Those who have the most now strive to appear effortless — lean, youthful, “balanced.”
The “proper double chin” has become the “proper personal trainer.”
But the deeper principle remains: freedom still costs something.
It’s just that now, it’s not paid in bread and butter — it’s paid in time and intention.
Freedom Then and Now
Tevye wanted freedom from hunger.
Modern America craves freedom from overload.
In both cases, the common man is still chasing the same dream:
To have enough to take a breath — to live, not just survive.
The tragedy?
Many taxpayers today work harder than ever, but feel less free.
Inflation eats their savings, taxes punish their productivity, and a culture of entitlement rewards dependency over discipline.
The SNAP recipient and the overworked taxpayer may both be struggling — but one is living off subsidy, the other off sacrifice. Tevye’s dream was to work, earn, and bless his family. Today, that dream is taxed and redistributed until even the dreamers grow weary.
Redefining the Modern “Proper Chin”
True wealth — real, biblical wealth — isn’t measured by your waistline or your wallet.
It’s measured by the freedom to think, to create, and to worship without government intrusion or cultural guilt.
The “proper double chin” may be gone, but the meaning behind it — peace after toil — is still what every honest American wants.
We don’t envy the rich man’s chin anymore.
We envy his freedom — to control his time, to build his dreams, and to feed his family without apology.
Closing Thought
So maybe Tevye had it right all along.
Whether rich or poor, it’s not about having more — it’s about being free enough to live your values.
The song may have changed, but the dream remains:
“If I were a rich man…”
is really just another way of saying,
“If I were free.”
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