Follow the Leader

Follow the Leader is a great socialization game for little children.  It teaches conformity which is important for the health of the culture.  But, what about when the culture norms are unhealthy?

We live in a society that follows the Joneses.  At one point in time the Joneses were our neighbors.  We saw what they had and we wanted to be like them.  Time progressed, and the Joneses weren't our flesh and blood neighbors anymore.  They instead were the people in TV advertisements and Hollywood magazines.

We were left striving for what is unattainable.  Very, very few of us will ever live in the opulence that is shown to us in movies and advertisements.  Not many of us will attract the fame and glamour of a red carpet lifestyle.  But we are told to follow the leader.  So, what do we do?

Debt is used to bring us closer to the Joneses, but it will never get us to their level.  Their level doesn't really exist.  Instead, we will be ruined, on a collision course with disaster in our finances and personal lives as our wallets and relationships pay the price for our effort at conformity.

It is time to ditch the leader.  Live within your means.  Don't fall for the trap of consumerism.  Let the Joneses fade into obscurity, and start marching to the beat of your own drummer and live a colorful and vibrant life apart from materialism and the sickness that pervades our culture.

Simplify.