Sitting in the waiting area of a famous restaurant, as I looked around me, I could sense anxiety in the air. There was something that just wasn’t right. At one end, I saw selfies being taken with the logo of the place and on the other, as food was served, a 7 minute photography session of the food was done before any of the family members were allowed to devour it. This was seriously painful and uncomfortable to watch!
I have realized over time that the issue of materialism and brand consciousness isn’t a problem limited to high school peers. This madness has crept into our societies like a plague. It’s quite unbelievable how a piece of cloth, a sign of a logo; a few capital letters coupled together, a combination of two colors can be a measure of who you are. The reality is that even people we look up to like our parents, teachers and mentors aren’t immune to it anymore.
It is amazing how over the top luxurious brands are advertised these days. These are exotic and unrealistic and do nothing except give you a sense of inferiority. It isn’t the quality of the product anymore, but its popularity and fame. Those advertisements are certainly not the reality. It isn’t real but what is real is that we have become blinded and deluded by them.
We have created an artificial society where people are being pressurized into having a certain image. Success is defined by the car you drive, the bag you carry, the glasses you wear, the house you live in, the perfume you wear and the 6 digit pay cheque you receive each month.
Why are we being pushed to be someone we are not?
You don’t have to live up to this fake standard of living. It isn’t healthy in the first place. If your only goal in life is to check your branded watch, studded with diamonds while overlooking that 72 inch TV as the sun shines from your million dollar mansion balcony through which you can directly jump into a swimming pool, you are in for trouble (your ONLY goal, mind you).
Don’t get me wrong! You should work hard and be successful, but for yourself and not for people.
Success and fame are valuable when combined with humility, a sense of self and moral values.
Have you ever wondered why the richest counties have the highest suicide rates?
Have you ever pondered on the fact why many of these highly successful people are dying of drug overdoses?
These are those who are mostly depressed because they have lost the sense of who they are. They chose material things to define them rather than their personality and character.
We as a society idolize these people for their fame and glory and wish to follow their steps. This only serves to bring down our self-esteem and self-confidence. Instead of stalking all those actors and actresses whose instagram pictures are over tumbling with hashtags such as #shoppyshoppy #goldrush #jacketbysomeexpensivedesigner #shoesbyabrandican’tevenpronounce, let’s take a step back and analyze if these material things are what we need in our pursuit of happiness.
I promise you, oxygen will still be available to you if you don’t stand in line for the next iphone 8. So let’s take a scrutinizing look at where our priorities lie and what makes us who we are. Let’s decide what would make us happy in the long run and serve greater purpose in our lives.
Feel free to comment below and share what you think is the most crucial thing you would want to achieve in your life.
