I was thinking about this the other day in the gym. I thought, “I wonder…..27….. which of the people around me…..28…….belongs to each of the…….29…..cars in the……..30……parking lot………whew!” As I caught my breath, I realized that there’s no way of telling. Realization further told me that it doesn’t matter much, that any of these people could have any of the cars I was surveying without much regard for their true financial position. That really blew my mind. Hypothetical person X has gone to the effort of putting herself deeply in debt to try to appear as if she has lots of money, when in fact the symbol she’s buying for that express purpose doesn’t say “ostentatious” to anyone. It just says, “eh…. my owner could be rich, or she could be poor. Sure, I’m an Escalade with spinners, but don’t let that fool you.”
What a sad state of affairs. When status drains from a status symbol, it’s not much of a symbol, either. And it’s not as if this has been taken from us: we sold it to the hucksters and the money-changers who said, “Nice things are your birthright in this society,” and, “It’s not fair that the Joneses can have it and you can’t.”
While I abhor the thought that society would become stratified into ‘have’ and ‘have not’ categories, the greater danger is that the loss of those categories leaves no room for aspiration, much less perspiration. When all good material things come to you by dint of your (supposed) deservedness, the concept of seeking in any dimension of life is lost.
What, then, shall we do? First, we must realize that the ability to have something doesn’t imply the obligation to acquire it. True power is ability with restraint. Next, we must be less impressed with posessions, both our own and those of other people. Being less impressed means that people from all strata between ‘have’ and ‘have not’ can sit equally at the table. Compassionate eyes see the man, no matter how the clothes may distract.
These concepts challenge me. I hope you allow them to challenge you, as well.
– Andrew