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I understand that concept somewhat, however, I think that most of the people in western cultures are moving past this. The materialistic part. Most would not ca
by zerof1l 6y ago
I understand that concept somewhat, however, I think that most of the people in western cultures are moving past this. The materialistic part. Most would not care about clothes or the phone you own. What matters is personality and what you believe in. For example, you have an old phone because you're conscious of the environment. Or, you buy second-hand clothes because the shop donates money to some good cause.
The issue of using fake merch to show-off your status is that others will eventually catch up. Once every second person will have a fake expensive-looking phone, for example, it will lose its meaning. The rich and successful will find other ways to differentiate themselves. And I don't believe that owning a fake phone is going to make you successful. Being successful is a mindset.
- diegof79 6y ago> I understand that concept somewhat, however, I think that most of the people in western cultures are moving past this. I agree with your comment, and I believe that these status symbols —fake or not— make people unhappy. However, I’ll like to point out a few things. When you say “western cultures”, you mean the US and Europe; Latin America is also part of the western culture but the situation is different. In the US the iPhone is not a status symbol, because even with a low wage you’ll be able to easily get one with a cellphone contract. But, I don’t think that first world people is “moving past” status symbols, they have others: Food, what you eat tells a lot about your status — you can see that all the time in the Bay Area. College, where you got your degree is another symbol of status. Hobbies, the more expensive —or extravagant— the better.
- oblio 6y ago> however, I think that most of the people in western cultures are moving past this. The materialistic part. Most would not care about clothes or the phone you own. What matters is personality and what you believe in. A beautifully naive and disconnected perspective. Why do you think Instagram or Snapchat or even Facebook are so popular? A good part of it is to show off conspicuous consumption. If anything, now that they can afford it a bit more, people are even more vain.
- zerof1l 6y agoMaybe it's just me and my social circle, but showing off richness is considered tasteless. Of course, you'd have good clothes and other things, but they don't need to be of a famous brand or the most expensive ones. Of course, there are people like those that you've described. They are everywhere. It's just I feel like in western culture, the US and Europe, it is less.
- oblio 6y agoEven there, you still see it, you just have to look carefully. Nobody buys $5k watches and suits because they're more durable.
- gambiting 6y agoOh man, wait until someone chimes in saying they buy Rolexes because they have absolutely superior timekeeping. Which sure, they do, but that's definitely not a reason why people buy them.
- oblio 6y agoI'll be honest and say that I don't know if Rolexes are mechanical. If they are, a quartz $20 Casio is more precise :-)
- ReptileMan 6y ago>I understand that concept somewhat, however, I think that most of the people in western cultures are moving past this. The materialistic part. Citation needed. So far from my point of observation the desire to obtain prestige items, get prestige credentials and live in prestige places has not subsided substantially.