Living in Eastern Europe, I was able to witness the streamlined shift to a Western consumerist lifestyle in a mere 15 to 20 years. There was a saying in communi

Living in Eastern Europe, I was able to witness the streamlined shift to a Western consumerist lifestyle in a mere 15 to 20 years. There was a saying in communist Bulgaria, "having money doesn't mean that there is anything you can spend it on". This encouraged people to save and have longer-term goals. Fast forward to today, everyday spending opportunities are beyond every corner, and people prove that they are successful in life with outward and vulgar consumerism which was probably a 70s thing in the West.