Being famous and/or wealthy must be lonely. Private jets, VIP sections, gated (physically or otherwise) communities, and priority lines all have a way of separating you from the masses – the main cabin.
This life is sold to us: Rise above the rest. The reality: Advertisements scream elite status and individuality that is ironically reminiscent of solitary confinement.
From car commercials (i.e., Mercedes) to airlines (first-class and beyond), the platinum life begets platinum isolation. The people in these advertisements tend to be alone with the product.
The rewards of status are enticing when you’re crammed in the middle seat, back of the plane, with a crying baby in front of you. But these are all signs of reality. Most of the world’s people don’t have it this good. Segregating ourselves to a distorted reality in front of the rest may have corrosive psychological effects and impaired empathy to the poverty around us.
…An electric blanket makes you forget about the cold, and cold can be a good thing. Cold can make you have compassion for poor people who are cold and don’t have electric blankets. Cold could cause you to snuggle closer to your partner. Most importantly, being cold reminds you that it’s cold. –Paul Miller, The Verge
It’s impossible to ever have complete empathy for another, but moderation should be a goal amidst the poles. Frugaling brings us to a humble understanding of the world around us. The aim is to save amidst the temptation. The aim is to dive into the world around us and save by enjoying what we couldn’t ever buy. The love of others, close friends, and purposeful relationships all hold an impressive price tag: free.
My husband and I have talked several times about how having too much money and too many things can be a trap, keeping us from changing and trying new things. Think how much harder it is to move if you have a lot of stuff or how you may have to stay in a job you hate because you need the income too much to switch to a lower paying job.