Extravagance And Insecurity: The Moral Cost of Showing Off In Hard Times

“Our only real pleasure is to squander our resources to no purpose, just as if a wound were bleeding away inside us; we always want to be sure of the uselessness or the ruinousness of our extravagance.” — Georges Bataille.

A globally understood fact is that making money is not an easy job. The majority have to toil hard under adverse conditions to make ends meet. From a labourer to the chief executive officer of a company, from a farmer to a professional, from those who have regular nine-to-five employment to airline staff with irregular hours, from the salaried class to the self-employed, all are struggling in their attempts to earn a decent living. Then, whatever income they derive, the government jumps in to take its share in the form of taxes.

When people are blessed with abundance, skill and beauty, chances are that they will find ways and means to flaunt them. Thus, a sprawling estate, a lucrative ongoing business, or a display of genius could be signs of wealth and intellect, and of course, beauty needs no recognition as it speaks for itself. Human nature is generally such that it loves to show off whatever overt or covert abilities it is gifted with, which is fair enough, but is it justifiable, and what are the reasons that these days one gets to observe extravagance and show-off at a totally different level?

Today, social media has reached almost every nook and cranny of the world. Who is who and what is what are no longer mysterious as they were a few decades back. Most of the global population could only contemplate and imagine the lives and lifestyles of their favourite celebrities, as they were the idolised ones. Since person-to-person social interaction was the sought-after pastime, we all had some inside information about our relatives, neighbours and friends. However, electronic media have, to a great extent, distanced us physically but brought us into closer proximity, so even if we are unable to meet face to face, we can still access each other’s privacy, thanks to online postings.

People are now opening up more by providing real-time information about themselves, their activities, likes and dislikes. In their bid to appear better than others, one can see competitive elements brewing on social media, creating what can be understood as communal pressure. With the exposed lives of celebrities and influencers, there are some who want to either replicate their styles or surpass them to make a point across their social stratum.

In a country that is grappling with severe economic problems, there is no rationale to compete with the neighbouring Ambanis or those in Pakistan who have white, tax-paid money to indulge in such nauseating events

Another intense (un)truth is that many of us believe that money is where our happiness lies. In order to feel elevated, we need to have the comfort of being able to spend to our heart’s desire. This would satisfy both our personal fulfilment and emotional health, where excessive spending becomes a therapeutic adventure.

One cannot help but indicate how the modern banking system has forced the public into compulsive spending. Credit cards have facilitated access to easy money. In earlier times, shopping was done with meticulously saved cash — but not any longer. Whether one needs it or not, anything can be purchased immediately to be paid for later. This has led to piled-up debts but has increased the profits of both banks and retailers, in addition to boosting consumerism to its ultimate.

“Indulgence is emptiness. I have proved the limits of food and frivolity. There is no real fulfilment in meaningless rushes of pleasure. You try to conceal the emptiness with more extravagance, only to find the thrills becoming less satisfying and more fleeting. Most pleasures are best as a seasoning, not the main course. However, you try to disguise it, you end up feeding without being nourished.” — Brandon Mull

Recently, a newspaper story revealed an exorbitant expenditure of over Rs. 248 million (US $8.871m) on the wedding of a bureaucrat’s daughter. The report gives the breakdown of Rs. 248m in approximate terms as follows:

Such extravagance is a demonstration of self-worth and happens where people are afflicted with a deep-rooted sense of insecurity. Law-abiding citizens have the unique privilege of spending their tax-paid incomes however they like, whether prudently, immoderately, or by simply opting to throw it all into the fire. Honestly? No one should really be bothered. Explosive reverberations occur when this kind of ruthless squandering is done by government servants who are unable to justify this kind of excess on their tax returns. According to the report, tax authorities have confirmed that the bureaucrat and even his daughter have no legal standing to explain this lavishness, yet there is no accountability so far.

In a country that is grappling with severe economic problems, there is no rationale to compete with the neighbouring Ambanis or those in Pakistan who have white, tax-paid money to indulge in such nauseating events. The anti-public attitude of government institutions, especially towards the compliant, is rapidly declining in credibility in people’s eyes, particularly when millions are suffering because of poor fiscal policies and even poorer behaviour of government functionaries who fleece both the public and the national exchequer.

Spilling over millions of gallons of water

While many crave for a single drop,

Does it make sense that we deliberately falter

When do many shamelessly blow the top?