The Illusion of Luxury: Why You Need To Challenge Societal Norms
Focus on what genuinely fulfills you, not just trends.
Under the relentless societal pressure, everyone is driven to pursue luxuries. People are caught in turmoil, resorting to any means to attain them, their focus solely on this pursuit.
But have you ever thought about where we are heading with all this? Why are we so puzzled by societal luxuries? We don’t see anything else in front of it.
The illusion of luxury
We live in a society where a car and a big house symbolize success. From childhood, we dream of owning these things, which has become a dream for many.
The society promotes luxury as a symbol of success. A person with luxurious things is known as a successful person. Even wearing branded clothes is a sign of success.
But are these things genuinely indicative of success? The joy of owning something that symbolizes luxury is momentary and fading. Material possessions offer only a temporary sense of happiness.
You scroll social media and see people showing off their material things over it. People who have branded stuff like clothes, watches, or shoes are promoting themselves as successful.
When you see all these things psychologically, you think it should also be with me. Everyone is winning, so why should you be left behind? Your brain starts to divert from real happiness to material things.
When you don’t get them, you become stressed. Sometimes, people go into depression with all this. You need to understand that owning luxury can cost you many things.
People sometimes resort to unethical means like theft and robbery to acquire these luxuries. The ethical costs of such actions must be considered. Once you fall into this trap, there’s no turning back.
For example, a person saves for years to buy a luxury sports car, only to find that the initial thrill fades quickly, leaving them empty and searching for the next big purchase. Don’t be like him.
The power of simplicity
We humans want happiness. It should be our goal. However, it does not mean you have to own luxury things. There is a concept called minimalism.
You must think about what is needed to survive and be happy. You have to leave out many things. When you start working in this direction, your mental well-being improves.
You can find many articles where you can learn about how to apply minimalism in your life. One part is decluttering your physical space. When you do it, you will see a lot of mental clarity emerging.
Remove everything from your working table that is not used frequently. Clean your wardrobe. See what you need and eliminate anything you haven’t used for a long time. Decluttering your physical space gives a feeling of openness.
You must understand that finding joy in simple pleasures will help you relax and calm your mind. Activities like walking in nature or eating home-cooked food give joy.
These small pleasures are what we all need in life. Simplifying your life will reduce stress and allow you to focus on personal relationships. Simplicity is essential. It is human nature. We have made it complicated with all our desires and with societal pressure.
For example, a family downsizes from a large suburban home to a smaller, more manageable house. With fewer possessions and lower expenses, they have more time and resources to spend on experiences and each other, leading to greater overall happiness.
You need to work on yourself to simplify your life. Try implementing minimalism in your life and see what changes it will bring, like the above family in our example.
Aligning actions with personal values
Everyone is unique and has unique tastes. Then why do you want to own things that others own? You must self-reflect and see what accurate sources of fulfillment you need to gather.
Sit for 1–2 hours weekly, reflect on yourself, and see what works for you. What makes you happy? Note down all the things that make you satisfied and brainstorm about them.
Analyze and see if the societal expectations are accurate. If you want those or just what everyone wants, you want to be a part of it. Is it your personal desire or societal pressure?
Examining this will help. You can start practicing meditation, which will help you with mindfulness. A mindful mind will empower you to make conscious choices that align with your values.
Practicing meditation daily will bring a massive change in your life. You will become calmer day by day. You will realize what’s important to you and what is just hype.
You will see the long-term benefits of living authentically. Trends come and go. Today, society has one brand as a luxury; tomorrow, it will be next. You will follow those until when? It is never-ending.
Live with what you need and stop following trends. Authenticity is a necessity today. For example, an individual passionate about environmental conservation decides to forgo a high-paying corporate job to work for a non-profit organization.
Despite a lower salary, he finds greater satisfaction in knowing his work aligns with his values and contributes to a cause he believes in. You have to see what makes you happy from the inside.
Society wants you to be part of it, with the luxuries people show off. But you must see what you need rather than mindlessly follow society’s trends.
Material things will temporarily give you joy. True happiness usually comes from simplicity and nature. You need to focus on what genuinely fulfills you, not just trends.
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