Definitely disagree with don't talk money. It's an outdated stigma that only benefits the employer and leads to people getting significantly underpaid and/or taken advantage of.
Imagine having grown up in poverty, having self-taught and bootstrapped your way into your white-collar job to have a better life than your parents; and then your coworker turns out to be a trust-fund baby who's doing this for fun. Things can get awkward quickly.
If the idea that this could be a problem has never even occurred to you, that's probably because you've been working for companies that have tightly constrained the socioeconomic class range of their hires so that everyone is around the same. This is most of what HR departments mean by "culture fit."
Now, I might attribute some of their attitudes to how they grew up, but it wouldn't affect my ability to deal with them on a day to day basis.
Go ahead, but don't be surprised if you cause rifts. Glassdoor is a click away and anonymous, no need to bring money into personal conversations and compare dick sizes.
-- edit @rexpop --
> I am not sure "good vibes" is a healthy super-ordinate goal among adults.
You don't think good vibes is a healthy goal?
I would strive for good vibes in the workplace. Your coworkers would appreciate a peaceful work environment.
Your political or religious debate is not that important, wait for the bar with your friends.
Ok, elaborate why not
*by money, i mean things you bought with your money or what you're doing with your money. salaries, depending on who you're around, was also easy conversation.