Superlatives run lives. Everyone expects the latest and greatest, no matter what the cost is. The most expensive cars, the most advanced cell phone and the most stylish clothes.
For example, take the new iPhone 4S that came out on Oct. 14. All the people that recently got the iPhone 4 are left in the dust as Apple unveiled their latest masterpiece. When there had been rumors of the new iPhone, most teens went crazy trying to pre-order the anticipated model and anxiously waited for the newest tech toy.
When the iPhone 4S came out, which is an updated version of the iPhone 4, most people were disappointed because it wasn’t as technologically advanced as they had hoped, and people complained because they couldn’t get their grabby hands on it.
The expression “keeping up with the Joneses” refers to a social comparison to your neighbors. It has to do with proving your social status and making others perceive you with a certain notation.
“[The expression means] appearing that you have as much or more than your neighbors, friends or circle of peers,” psychologist John Markovich said. “It’s not necessarily limited to materialistic things; it can be the fact that you got a BMW after your neighbor got a Lexus.
It can be extended to vacations, having a better family, being in better shape than your neighbor, looking better physically or your relationship statuses.”
Are expectations and feeling of entitlement too high in our society? We all have this idea that we are entitled to only the best, and believe we should be pampered and only think about ourselves. People expect their wishes to come true-if that was the case, everyone would go pick some money from the money tree growing in their backyards.
“Parenting can have an effect on if parents spoil their children. If parents don’t act like the authority figure and try to be friends with their kids, it can lead to them being spoiled,” Markovich said.
The perfect example of showing off extravagance is Bravo’s “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Teresa Guidice. Guidice and her husband Joe filed for bankruptcy after their lavish spending got way out of control. After filing for debt ($11 million), Teresa and Joe have a collection of expensive luxury cars and three houses with a total of eight mortgages.
Eight mortgages for three houses should’ve raised a red flag to the Guidices, but in their quest to show off, they did what they could to make sure they looked rich. The Guidices income is less than $100,000 so why do they spend money they don’t have?
The answer is simple: The Guidices are trying to become the “Joneses”–even though they’re broke.
The Guidices may look like they have it all, but at what price? Joe Guidice may face prison time after getting sued by an ex-business partner and Teresa’s family is in shambles after an explosive season premiere at the christening party for her nephew where physical fights and verbal abuse occurred.
Guidice’s parents are in poor health and they are forced to cut back on their lifestyle. So is having material possessions worth having a broken family and failing health?
I don’t think so.
We put so much into putting out an image for people to see us as “perfect” or “rich” but we all forget about the important things in life.
“Audiences are bombarded by advertisements during commercials. They show that you can be cool and make friends with their product and it pushes you to buy it.
People want to appear cool in the eyes of their friends, so they feel pressure to get the newest items,” Markovich said.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it’s wrong to want the best, but I think we take all our material possessions for granted and just want more. We forget we have to work hard to get what we want instead of getting it handed to us.
How many times do we stop and think about how lucky we are? We all have families that love and support us, friends that cherish us and endless opportunities to look forward to.
I think we would be so much happier and less stressed if we focused on what we have instead of focusing on what we don’t have. Comparing ourselves to others can have damaging results on our own self-esteem if we’re constantly thinking we aren’t good enough.
In the words of one of my favorite bands, The Zac Brown Band, “It’s the little things in life that mean the most, not where you live, not what you drive or the price tag on your clothes. There’s no dollar sign on a peace of mind, this I’ve come to know…”
We should all take a little time to stop looking up to the “Joneses” because obviously we’re forgetting about other important things in our life.
So, while you’re sitting around the Thanksgiving table with your family and friends, give thanks for the most important things in your life instead of dreaming about that iPhone 4S you haven’t gotten yet.