Now, I’m pretty sure I look fairly silly wearing this particular accessory. But that doesn’t change the fact I feel strangely awesome in them. I’ve never had anything trendy before, and — as my sister-in-law pointed out — I kinda like it. I would never spend that much for sunglasses, but that doesn’t mean that when I get a free pair I’m not enjoying the feeling of wearing $300 shades. Which has me thinking again about material things and status.

Buying things and how we feel about ourselves

Often we spend money on things for status reasons. We want to keep up with the neighbors, or we want to show off for other purposes. Or we think we deserve something. The idea of deserving things is part of the reason we’re a nation that is in such severe debt. Materialism and consumerism tend to result in buying things we don’t need and maybe can’t really afford. (If you have to buy it with debt, you can’t afford it.)

I like to think that I’m not a materialistic person. I don’t particularly care if I have a TV that’s as big as the one down the street, and it doesn’t bother me to drive around town in a 7-year-old Saturn wagon. But sometimes I’m still tempted to define myself in some small way by my possessions. My husband says I have a whole new attitude when I put on the Oliver Peoples shades. So, I guess just knowing that I’ve got something expensive and trendy does have an effect. Hopefully, I won’t let that influence me to spend crazy amounts of money on things I don’t need.

Do you have a possession that defines you in some way?

Post from: EveryJoe