Maybe so. My problem with the author's attitude is probably that: shabby goods don't fit in his decision matrix. He agonizes about keeping up with the Joneses,

Maybe so. My problem with the author's attitude is probably that: shabby goods don't fit in his decision matrix. He agonizes about keeping up with the Joneses, but blames it for sapping meaning from his life. Like Tyler Durden without the self-improvement. My coffee table costs an order of magnitude less than one of similar proportions at Ikea, yet it's both more durable and more disposable. It doesn't hold special meaning to me, either sentiment or disdain. It's shabby and functional, from which emerges a more meaningful existence.