In a consumer society, an important role is played not only by the costs necessary for survival, but also by various items that demonstrate the status of their owner. Status things are the marker by which people create their first impression of themselves.
Things as a way of showing status
The concept of status appeared in antiquity, when representatives of various social strata needed certain attributes that made it possible to unambiguously determine their social and professional affiliation. Status in society did not always directly depend on wealth, for example, in the Middle Ages, the right to bear arms was the prerogative of the noble class, and no wealth would help a commoner to get this opportunity.
With the passage of time, belonging to a certain class began to play a lesser role, and in the modern world, material capabilities are practically the most important indicator of status. The position in society directly depends on income, and is determined by how much money a person can afford to spend on demonstrating his status. As a rule, status items are items whose cost is clearly higher than the price adequate for their functionality. These items can include cars, phones, watches, suits and ties, office supplies, furniture, and even housing.
The status things include not only material objects. The position in society is evidenced by the choice of a place to spend the vacation, and the average bill in a restaurant, and the school in which the child is studying.
There are certain rules that set the minimum cost levels for certain status items in accordance with the income of their owner. For example, the price of a watch should be equal to the sum of the monthly income, and the value of the car should equal the annual salary. Unfortunately, many people try to live up to a higher position in society than they actually occupy, for example, by buying a too expensive car or phone on credit. The idea of status things is precisely that their acquisition or loss is not a vital problem for a person, but is only a necessary expenditure.
Misconceptions about status things
The problem of modern society is that people mistakenly consider the acquisition of this or that thing as a way to increase their status, although in fact the opposite is true: position in society becomes the reason that a person is forced to buy status things in order to correspond to a certain level. The reason for this misconception lies in aggressive marketing: numerous commercials literally convince people that an expensive watch or car can change their status.
Truly rich people can afford not to chase status things. For example, the founder of IKEA prefers to travel by public transport and fly in economy class.
The biggest mistake in a person's desire to demonstrate a higher status than they actually is is the acquisition of cheap copies of status items. This is especially true for well-known models of wristwatches, which many manufacturers in China commit to counterfeiting. The problem here is that people who occupy a really high position in society immediately pay attention to such attempts to break into their circle. Naturally, the opinion of a person who can wear a cheap copy of a well-known brand is automatically spoiled, so it is much better to wear a watch that you can afford by status.
