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People want what they can't have which I don't think will ever dissolve. Therefore, the idea that advertising has any bearing on this is flawed. Keeping up wit

People want what they can't have which I don't think will ever dissolve. Therefore, the idea that advertising has any bearing on this is flawed. Keeping up with the joneses is less about having the same thing and more about having the joneses quality of life. They aren't the same if you look at them. Having a fancy car for example is a status symbol, what is the status? The status is that this car has nicer features, butt warmers, more comfortable seating, better safety. Taking that status symbol a step further, I can deduce that if the joneses can afford that fancy car they also have other fancy things. Most reduce this logic down to the following: The more individual items I have that the joneses have the closer I'll be to their quality of life. I think this is a really interesting dynamic though because the more money I make I am not proportionally happier. In fact, my happiness stopped increasing with salary increases the moment I was able to afford bills and have leftover for savings. Since than my salary has grown many times over and I am still the same person I was fresh out of college getting by. My wife and I are still the same couple, we are no happier with the weather we have achieved over the years.

neogodless 9y ago
There are so many things you cannot tell by looking at how other people appear to be living their lives. Or whether the car is valued for utility, features or perceived status. First, you can't tell from looking at their car how well-suited their finances are to paying for it. They could have a 12.99% 72-month loan that doubles the actual cost (plus higher insurance premiums, premium fuel, etc). Or they bought it cash, self-insure, and have money invested that compounds over time and pays their insurance and gas bill for them. Second, you probably don't know how they are using it. If you're a master salesman with an excellent income, selling 7-figure deals to executives, you might actually get utility out of perceived status! But if you're a coder who walks a quarter mile from parking and works in the basement of the building, the brand name on that car is worth nothing. And most of those comfort features can probably be found in a Mazda for $20K less. Or a ten-year old luxury car. (Personally I love the hatchback which combines all those features with utility and fuel economy! No need to buy the luxury sport sedan.) Finally, wait, why do you think advertising isn't doing its job? People know what they can't have because of advertising. Then they want it.
- notyourwork 9y ago
  > There are so many things you cannot tell by looking at how other people appear to be living their lives. Or whether the car is valued for utility, features or perceived status. This is the perspective people need to have to stop comparing themselves against others. When I learned this I stopped comparing myself and try to buy based on the value add a product gives to me in my use case.

neogodless 9y ago

There are so many things you cannot tell by looking at how other people appear to be living their lives. Or whether the car is valued for utility, features or perceived status. First, you can't tell from looking at their car how well-suited their finances are to paying for it. They could have a 12.99% 72-month loan that doubles the actual cost (plus higher insurance premiums, premium fuel, etc). Or they bought it cash, self-insure, and have money invested that compounds over time and pays their insurance and gas bill for them. Second, you probably don't know how they are using it. If you're a master salesman with an excellent income, selling 7-figure deals to executives, you might actually get utility out of perceived status! But if you're a coder who walks a quarter mile from parking and works in the basement of the building, the brand name on that car is worth nothing. And most of those comfort features can probably be found in a Mazda for $20K less. Or a ten-year old luxury car. (Personally I love the hatchback which combines all those features with utility and fuel economy! No need to buy the luxury sport sedan.) Finally, wait, why do you think advertising isn't doing its job? People know what they can't have because of advertising. Then they want it.

notyourwork 9y ago
> There are so many things you cannot tell by looking at how other people appear to be living their lives. Or whether the car is valued for utility, features or perceived status. This is the perspective people need to have to stop comparing themselves against others. When I learned this I stopped comparing myself and try to buy based on the value add a product gives to me in my use case.