People worldwide make a passionate effort to show off their things and overall lifestyles, but why? Why do people feel the need to display their lives on social media?
Some Of The Things (& People) We Like To Show Off:
Designer and name brand items
Shoes
Badass homes
Travel
Kids
Expensive toys
Money
Cars
Job Titles
Careers
Our Bodies
Romantic Relationships
Pricy hangouts and events
My Questions To Those Who Do This:
Is showing off your life to the world improving your life somehow? Is it supposed to improve my life? Is it supposed to make me envious of you? Am I supposed to strive for what you have? Am I supposed to desire your life?
“Is there anything sadder than the immense lengths we’ll go to impress someone? The things we’ll do to earn someone’s approval can seem, when examined in retrospect, like the result of some temporary form of insanity. Suddenly we’re wearing uncomfortable, ridiculous clothes we’ve been told are cool, eating differently, talking differently, eagerly waiting for a call or text. If we did these things because we liked it, that would be one thing. But that’s not what it is. It’s just a means to an end — to get someone to give us the nod.” — The Daily Stoic, p99
The Age of Fakeness
There is a deep shallowness that has overtaken society. Many people are merely working to buy new and shiny things that don’t benefit them. These same people only display the best parts of their lives instead of capturing and sharing genuine and vulnerable moments.
As time goes by, I wonder when people will start posting less and living more.
Unfortunately, there will always be people who do not think for themselves and follow those in the spotlight (the trendsetters). As people who have self-awareness, it is — in a sense — our indirect responsibility to display and convey there is more to life than materialistic things. Furthermore, there is more to life than displaying perfection, making butt loads of money, going to kool-ass parties, wearing expensive clothes, driving the best cars, living in the best homes, and taking the best-angled pictures. When will the madness stop? When will the world stop caring about what everyone else is doing and focus on what they are doing to improve not only their lives but the lives of others?
A Few Theories On Why Do People Show Off
People are addicted to the attainment of pseudo validation (external validation) from people they don’t know, don’t care about, have never met, and will never see.
People are hurting so much inside that this is their way of getting attention to distract them from their pain.
People are unaware and have their priorities mixed up.
People are so insecure and don’t know where to start to become secure.
People are living life but not questioning what has become normal in our society.
People don’t realize they are showing off and assume their lifestyles are normal.
People are laser-focused on establishing their brand; they forget how this influences others to emulate them without speculation.
“[..] the people whose opinion we covet are not all that great. They’re flawed — they’re distracted and wowed by all sorts of silly things themselves. We know this and yet we don’t want to think about it.” — The Daily Stoic, p99
Food For Thought: Today’s world has become brand-centric. It seems that everyone is a brand or has the opportunity to become one. So how can we use this autonomy and opportunity productively?
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