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I'm not talking about your looks or physique, but rather, the biggest material aspect that defines your image. You may think that your house is the most important aspect, but you cannot carry your expensive house with you. You cannot flash or flaunt the house. Only your family and close friends will visit your place.
Whereas, you take your vehicle, everywhere, and since is the most expensive item in your possession, it plays a huge role in your image and reputation. This is the same reason why people spend money on expensive watches and bags, such as Rolex and Louis Vuitton. They signify success and money. Same reason, why so many fakes are sold. People want to benefit from the brand image at a fraction of the price.
Unlike, clothing and accessories, you CANNOT fake a car. You either have the real thing or you don't. This is why so many people get in debt and finance vehicles that they cannot afford.
Whether people want to admit it or not, we live in a materialistic and superficial world, where looks, money and material possessions, play a huge role in how others treat you and perceive you. It is normal human nature to want to be perceived in a positive light.
People desire a new or luxury car, not because of the driving experience, but for what it will do for their image. You may think this is a childish behavior and only young people fall for it, but many adults and middle age people buy more car than they can afford. You can be old, but as long as you are living in the modern first world, you cannot escape these desires and feelings.
You may suppress them for a while, simply, because you cannot afford what you'd like to have, so you don't have another choice, but just because you can suppress those feelings and desires, it doesn't mean you are now enlightened and have escaped the system. You are still trapped in the matrix. You still desire the nice things in life. The nice car, house, material possessions, trips, vacations, etc. You still want them and would gladly take them if they were given to you for free.
Don't fool yourself. Just because you can't afford them and choose to be frugal and believe yourself to be indifferent and unaffected to what other people desire, does not mean you have escaped those desires.
I'm not talking about your looks or physique, but rather, the biggest material aspect that defines your image. You may think that your house is the most important aspect, but you cannot carry your expensive house with you. You cannot flash or flaunt the house. Only your family and close friends will visit your place.
I have no need to flash or flaunt anything to impress anyone because I do not care what others think of me, my home, nor my vehicle.
Whereas, you take your vehicle, everywhere, and since is the most expensive item in your possession, it plays a huge role in your image and reputation. This is the same reason why people spend money on expensive watches and bags, such as Rolex and Louis Vuitton. They signify success and money. Same reason, why so many fakes are sold. People want to benefit from the brand image at a fraction of the price.
My vehicle is not the most expensive item in my possession and it plays no role in my image or reputation.
Unlike, clothing and accessories, you CANNOT fake a car. You either have the real thing or you don't. This is why so many people get in debt and finance vehicles that they cannot afford.
I do not fake anything and I have no vehicle debt either since I paid cash without any financing at all.
Whether people want to admit it or not, we live in a materialistic and superficial world, where looks, money and material possessions, play a huge role in how others treat you or perceive you. It is normal human nature to want to be perceived in a positive light.
You may live in a materialistic and superficial world but my world is not like that and I am treated like everyone else and without regard to what others think of me. If I am cranky many will be cranky toward me and if I am not cranky few will be cranky toward me.
People desire a new or luxury car, not because of the driving experience, but for what it will do for your image. You may think this is a childish behavior and only young people fall for it, but many adults and middle age people buy more car than they can afford. You can be old, but as long as you are living in the modern first world, you cannot escape these desires and feelings.
Nope, wrong again, no desire for a new or luxury vehicle. Don't care what image others perceive, not my problem and their issue alone. No desires or feelings to escape when there are none.
You may suppress them for a while, simply, because you cannot afford what you'd like to have, so you don't have another choice, but just because you can suppress those feelings and desires, it doesn't mean you are now enlightened and have escaped the system. You still desire the nice things in life. The nice car, house, material possessions, trips, vacations, etc. You still want them and would gladly take them if they were given to you for free.
You are pretty far off on this one as well. I could and still can afford to drive what I want which is what I purchased when I purchased my vehicle and paid cash. My desires have little to do with material possessions outside of an excessive amount of yarn, fabric and office supplies. I also do not want trips or long vacations since I am uncomfortable being away from home for more than 3 or 4 days and no,
I would not take a trip for free.
Don't fool yourself. Just because you can't afford them and choose to be frugal and believe yourself to be indifferent and unaffected to what other people desire, does not mean you have escaped those desires.
Don't fool yourself that everyone lives, breaths and thinks like you do.
Don't fool yourself into thinking or believing that you know the desires of everyone on the planet.
Don't fool yourself into thinking or believing everyone has to or does finance their vehicle, home or anything else they have. We paid cash for all vehicles and our home.
Don't fool yourself into thinking or believing that anyone else really cares what you or anyone else thinks about them on any level.
People desire a new or luxury car, not because of the driving experience, but for what it will do for their image. You may think this is a childish behavior and only young people fall for it, but many adults and middle age people buy more car than they can afford. You can be old, but as long as you are living in the modern first world, you cannot escape these desires and feelings.
Only the ignorant buy a car for "image". If a flashy exotic car denotes anything, it gives the image of a high spending fool with few assets. In the book The Millionaire Next Door, Thomas Stanley reported that "only 23.5 percent of millionaires drive new cars". He wrote that "most wealthy households don't drive luxury imports" and Ford was the most popular brand among millionaires. According to Stanley "status artifacts can be a burden, if not an impediment to becoming financially independent."
I would disagree for in building the ranch house, people are constantly telling me what a beautiful house I am building. Word spreads a lot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mazda6
........Whether people want to admit it or not, we live in a materialistic and superficial world, where looks, money and material possessions, play a huge role in how others treat you and perceive you. It is normal human nature to want to be perceived in a positive light.
........
Looks yes, but perhaps not the other two, necessarily. A lot of people, strangers, treat me like a cop or a ranger. It is probably because of how I dress, hold, and groom myself. It's not as much for wanting to be perceived as such as much as it is to being in the outdoor world. In all fairness, however, it is also possible that I am an isolated example.
I would agree, however, because when I was young, I drove the Cutlass Salon http://a1.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/i...509ebb91/l.jpg
(like that but in blue) and I had a lot of fun in it, was somewhat admired for it. (I also bought Oldsmobile for safety reasons, though).
Now that I am older, I look back and think about if I could have a car like that, if they were around, today. The answer always come back as "No" because now I buy cars to be practical, not for fun.
It probably depends on the person. One of my brothers, junior by 5 years, tends to go for expensive sports cars, whether he can afford them or not. He also has a Corolla. Being single and a lawyer, his choice in cars probably has a lot of how he thinks people see him, whether he realizes it or not.
Finally, even I am probably susceptible to this image thing if only in the after thought. The Forester was bought when the long research showed it was the best, safest car for the money and my requirements. Even so, I subscribe to the women oriented advertisements at the time I bought it, to my type of life style that I have (the rugged outdoorsy type). Similar thing on both fronts for my Ford F-250.
Every time I hear The Eagles "Take it Easy" on the radio and they get to "It's a girl, my lord, in a flatbed. Ford slowin' down to take a look at me."......I can see how I can be seen as such.
Last edited by TamaraSavannah; 09-16-2016 at 01:57 AM..
Only the ignorant buy a car for "image". If a flashy exotic car denotes anything, it gives the image of a high spending fool with few assets. In the book The Millionaire Next Door, Thomas Stanley reported that "only 23.5 percent of millionaires drive new cars". He wrote that "most wealthy households don't drive luxury imports" and Ford was the most popular brand among millionaires. According to Stanley "status artifacts can be a burden, if not an impediment to becoming financially independent."
Wow what a blanket statement. So EVERYONE who buys a exotic car gives the image of a "high spending fool with few assets?" Your so wrong. The only factual image someone can give by driving an exotic car is:
a. Person driving it makes enough money yearly to finance said car
or
b. Person driving this car is wealthy enough to buy the car outright
or
c. Person has a combination of income and enough down payment to buy the car.
Everything else you stated was purely your opinion. I have read that book and you do realize that the author is literally referring to anyone with a million in asset or more? The median net worth listed for a millionaire in the book was $1.6 million and their yearly income was $131K. Meaning the average millionaire realizes that he is too poor to afford an exotic car. It has absolutely nothing to do with them thinking that exotic cars are a waste of money. Meaning even if they wanted it; most would be disciplined enough not to buy it and stick with to the Ford because it would be a stupid financial move.
I will explain that in a bit more detail. The book was written in 1996. Therefore, in todays dollar the median net worth of a millionaire is $2.45 million and he has a median income of $200K. According to the book most millionaires are self made. Meaning they are not fools with their money and are disciplined in how they spend it. A starter exotic car such as a Lamborghini Gallardo costs $200K. No one who is disciplined with money would pay $200K cash for a car with a net worth of only $2.4 million. And if they financed with $20K down it would still eat up 20% of their gross income. And that's with a 60 month loan!
So since the average millionaire is a prodigious saver and a responsible spender there is no way he would buy the car in the above financial situation. Now if that same person had a net worth of $5 million with a $400K income the story would be different. I doubt he would buy the Ford for the sake of being cheap if he REALLY wanted an exotic car. At this point it would not be a financially stupid move to purchase the exotic car.
The point I'm making is that blanket statements of any kind never make sense. You really can't make any sort of objective judgement about a persons character or personal finances just based on the car they drive. The only thing you can determine is a, b and c from above. Everything else we guess after that is purely our perception.
I look more at the condition of the vehicle rather than what kind it is. If I see a 8 year old Accord that is spotless and meticulously cared for that tells me the owner is a responsible person... and those people are usually most responsible with money as well.
Same thing with houses, if I see the homeowner out there making sure the yard is perfectly manicured I get the same impression. People who protect their investments are often the most financially sound.
I'm not talking about your looks or physique, but rather, the biggest material aspect that defines your image. You may think that your house is the most important aspect, but you cannot carry your expensive house with you. You cannot flash or flaunt the house. Only your family and close friends will visit your place.
Whereas, you take your vehicle, everywhere, and since is the most expensive item in your possession, it plays a huge role in your image and reputation. This is the same reason why people spend money on expensive watches and bags, such as Rolex and Louis Vuitton. They signify success and money. Same reason, why so many fakes are sold. People want to benefit from the brand image at a fraction of the price.
Unlike, clothing and accessories, you CANNOT fake a car. You either have the real thing or you don't. This is why so many people get in debt and finance vehicles that they cannot afford.
Whether people want to admit it or not, we live in a materialistic and superficial world, where looks, money and material possessions, play a huge role in how others treat you and perceive you. It is normal human nature to want to be perceived in a positive light.
People desire a new or luxury car, not because of the driving experience, but for what it will do for their image. You may think this is a childish behavior and only young people fall for it, but many adults and middle age people buy more car than they can afford. You can be old, but as long as you are living in the modern first world, you cannot escape these desires and feelings.
You may suppress them for a while, simply, because you cannot afford what you'd like to have, so you don't have another choice, but just because you can suppress those feelings and desires, it doesn't mean you are now enlightened and have escaped the system. You are still trapped in the matrix. You still desire the nice things in life. The nice car, house, material possessions, trips, vacations, etc. You still want them and would gladly take them if they were given to you for free.
Don't fool yourself. Just because you can't afford them and choose to be frugal and believe yourself to be indifferent and unaffected to what other people desire, does not mean you have escaped those desires.
I think you may be on to something. Did you ever notice the big fancy Caddy and a guy 5'3" with a big gold chain around his neck and a real Rolex on his wrist? I'll bet he thinks he is 6"2".
Last edited by PDD; 09-16-2016 at 06:11 AM..
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Your so wrong. The only factual image someone can give by driving an exotic car is:
