"How much better is it to be known for doing well by many than for living extravagantly? How much more worthy than spending on sticks and stones is it to spend on people?" —MUSONIUS RUFUS, LECTURES, 19.91.26-28
The media loves to flood us with stories and images of the conspicuous consumption of celebrities like the Kardashians, A-list movie stars, social media influencers, and flamboyant tech billionaires. This privileged class puts a high priority on maintaining a certain image and they do this by flexing their—numerous luxury mansions, jewelry, supercars, exotic travel destinations, designer clothes and handbags, and mega-yachts. These people spend insane amounts of money to help earn their reputations.
A whole lot of folks with more meager bank accounts end up catching this fever, thinking this is what success should look like. They try to emulate the behaviors of this privileged class and try to live more extravagantly than our budgets allow. This leads the average person down the road of ruin and a life of servitude where they’re forced to hustle their whole lives, struggling to pay just the interest on their debts.
The dark side of conspicuous consumption, even for the wealthy classes, is that so many of their lives end up being empty and often unhappy. Simple pleasures and memorable experiences cost very little, add real meaning to our lives, and are much more sustainable. A person can only spend so much until the dopamine rush achieved from buying ever more luxurious possessions and flaunting them begins to fade.
Most people eventually discover there’s nothing impressive about flaunting their wealth. In the end they have absolutely nothing to show for it but a long list of possessions to take care of and worry about and a multitude of false friends.
José Mujica, the former president of Uruguay, is a fine example of someone who rejected the glamorous life of conspicuous consumption despite having every opportunity to live it. He gave ninety percent of his presidential salary to charity and drove a twenty-five-year-old car. He lived simply despite access to so much more.
Take a moment and ask yourself who's more impressive? Try not to let others tell you what success should look like, define success for yourself. Don't allow yourself to fall into this trap.
It’s so much better, despite your net worth, to build a life of true substance, accomplishment, and meaning. There’s nothing wrong with living comfortably and allowing yourself certain luxuries but acquiring these things just to flaunt usually leads to a life of emotional emptiness and misery.
Take a moment to think about a few of the things that define personal success for you and jot them down.
For the coming week, set a notification on your mobile device for once during the morning and once in the afternoon (or write it on a Post-It Note and put it on your mirror), ask yourself…
Am I still on the path of personal success or straying further away from it?
This will serve as a daily reminder throughout the next week to stay the course and create a life of real meaning and happiness instead chasing a superficial and empty life. Never let others define what success means for you.
Be well, make the most of this day. Thank you for reading!
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