Gucci. Louis Vuitton. Dior. Porsche. Mercedes Benz. Balenciaga.
You see, I am a guy who loves and enjoys window shopping. But the other day something weird happened that left me wondering. I was in Naivas Kitengela and I passed by a section where they had displayed really nice Nike shoes. Instead of appreciating them and leave, I stared for almost 2 minutes and my feet couldn't move. I then begun feeling bad that I couldn't afford the shoe. That's when I realized there's something and I decided to dig..
I mean, why are we drawn to the “finer things” in life? Why do we like luxury items? Why do some people nearly go bankrupt trying to keep up?
Here's what I found out..
The psychology behind luxury.
Now your first guess might be luxury as a status symbol.
And you would be right, to a degree. It seems pretty obvious that the person who drives in with the latest sports car is of a higher socioeconomic status. Humans are deductive that way.
But maybe it’s about trust? After all, luxury brands have built trust over time regarding not just aesthetics but also authenticity and timeless quality. We know no stones (or wool) will be left unturned when it comes to the character of outfits by Dior or Louis Vuitton
Or is that just what we tell ourselves?
The most convincing argument I found is tucked away somewhere inside a pyramid — Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Once the basics such as feeding and shelter have been sorted, Self Actualisation (the fulfilment of one’s potentials) is the summit of human wants.
So could that be it — the need to self-actualise?
In a sense, yes.
These things do appeal to us because they’re aspirational, something to look forward to and work toward. When we do attain them, we “reach” the pinnacle. Such that every time we look at that Nike Shoe (God when?), we don’t just see a shoe. We see success, even though it has the disadvantage of feeding into hedonism.
Indeed, luxury buying affects our sense of self-esteem, as much as we might like to deny it.
But are there less materialistic things to strive for to achieve the same sense of actualisation?
Let's explore how the brain works.
In my research I found a study done in 2007 to explore if actual brain changes occurred when we’re presented with luxury.
Using wine, the subjects were asked to focus on the flavour and rate.
Unknown to them, 1 of the “3” wines given was actually administered twice! But with different price tags.
The results?
They confirmed their hypothesis — a perceived higher price was associated with an increase in the perceived pleasant taste of the wine.
Using a functional brain scan, they also found increased activity in the medial orbitofrontal cortex of the brain, said to be associated with the pleasant feeling.
Final thoughts.
I suspect that perhaps it’s something deeper, something that strikes at the very core of human desire, a non-tangible, non-materialistic essence?
Our socioeconomic status feeds into our ego but not necessarily in a bad way. It reinforces our subconscious need for security, even when we know all the money in the world can’t always buy that.
Ultimately, I think it all comes down to one thing:
Fear.
Fear of being rejected by the tribe. Fear not being accepted. Fear of being left out and, well, dying. Although quite the stretch, it’s a thought worth exploring.
But one thing’s for sure. If I was going to show up to a cringe-worthy event, I’d rather do it in a Range, dressed in Gucci short, Christian Dior shirt and Balenciaga shoes.
What? I thought this was a judgment-free zone. I'm out😅 see you next Wednesday.
Remember to #Stay_Mentally_Fit
#Not_a_motivational_speaker_just_a_peddler_of_hope