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Quoted :'I guess it is the materialistic nature of the US. Success is measured in posessions instead of the impact you leave on other people's lives. I think its sad that people will think i'm broke and unsuccessful because i'll see no reason to part with my (hopefully running) 01 honda accord after my college graduation'
REPLY: Are you going to live your life according to what other people think, say, and expect of you ? I hope not. One of the things that is a negative in the U.S., is the brainwashing associated with status recognition by a hood ornament -- the ol' keepin' up with the Joneses philosophy. Youre going to find if you buy into this superficial philosophy , that, youll always be fixated on living for the applause of others. It instills insecurity too. Its not materials that a person owns that makes a Man...its internal qualities such as integrity, honesty, good values and ethics. One of the biggest rude awakenings that Americans are having to cope with during these tough economic times, is downsizing/ altering their spending habits/ having a different mindset / and trying to get over the 'entitlement' philosophy that has inundated this Country. A wise person lives within their means and pays NO attention to what others expect , demand, and stigmas that come with having LESS . Youre a young person who is just starting out in adult life., and I hope you will start off and maintain a sensible approach to life instead of allowing yourself to be pigeon-holed by a sick out of control Culture that puts the worth of a person based on what he owns. Regards.
I've always seen that success through about the end of college is measured in your ride, you have a good ride you can conspicuously show people how good you're doing. After that some people I guess still think the same thing, conspicuous consumption is the name of the game to feel superior. Going into my thirties with my experience seeing what goes on I've begun to see, especially after the credit crisis, those who want to look rich so people don't see how poor they really are "behind the scenes". People around me started showing how broke they really were when interest rates jacked up, and the debt they couldn't pay off in total that they were barely making finance charges on suddenly put them under.
Not that I'm not against a quality car, quality and dependability saves just as much money as getting the lowest cost car, but at some point it just becomes a contest who can buy the more expensive gas guzzler. Of course I just got rid of my own 19 year old car for a Toyota, not the smallest or lowest cost but best in class economy, reliability, and dependability. I would certainly spend more to get a BMW or Audi for quality, but it has declined in recent years (plus both in my experience are expensive to repair) so I chose this one. On the other hand I don't think I would buy another Honda again (Wife got a civic) because while the mechanical on it are pretty good, the paint and interior are so low cost it's getting scraped and dinged (one down to bare metal) pretty noticeably after 3 years while in 2 my Toyota's paint is still pristine.
P.S. And not only what he drives, but : How tall he is, how many muscles he has, if his tummy has visible abs (and how many) , what kind of house he lives in, how short he keeps his grass cut, if he wheres $400 Suits, what restaurants he frequents, his ability to down alcoholic drinks without vomiting (or vomitiing) , how pretty his girlfriend is, what kind of job he has, whether he wears Dockers or Jeans, and if he is vocal about his love and faith in God. The list is endless about HOW youre supposed to be according to others expectations, so, just concentrate on living for God and being the person He wired you to be ...paying no attention to the stigmas and stereotypes which is part of a superficial American culture based on hedonism and materialism. Give us a report back in 20 years to tell us you paid no attention to living for the applause of Men and youre no worse off for it. Take care !
Only nitwits consider a new upscale car a measure of success.
We real car guys know it's an OLDER upscale car in the garage - Superbird, Shelby, Yenko, Gullwing, dare I say M3 (real, E30 M3) that spells S-U-C-C-E-S-S!
A car that's going UP in value, not not one where the value is dropping like an anvil in a Bugs Bunny cartoon...
Ha....i remember when the SuperBird first came out...they didnt sell real well -- too gawdy looking. But now....they are fetching well over $100,000 at car shows . Ah yes... the good ol' days of the 1960's when Big Blocks roamed the Earth and my friend layed 100' of rubber in his 389 cid GTO.
Im pleased to submit that i kept a piece of that era , as i restored a 1970 big block Corvette , 4 speed, T Tops, and bumped the engine output well over factory specs, to 540 h.p. / 600 tq. Its lucky if it sees 750 miles per year ... which I know is a little silly.
What makes you happy? Simply surviving? If so - you are probably set for life.
But "achievement" of something is probably important to many, including me. I would not be happy if I hadn't achieved or made a difference somehow. It isn't measure by a car though. Simply surviving would not be enough.
Happiness is unimportant. But if it WAS, then it would be a relationship with someone else that meant happiness, not "achievement".
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But I guess that the difference between want and need is too hard for you to understand?
Isn't crack an American thing?
