How to avoid conspicuous consumption

Showing off has several obvious characteristics:

One is to show off in the circle of acquaintances, the other is to show off in order, and the third is to show off power.

Let's talk about showing off in the circle of acquaintances. The most typical one in this respect is, of course, Xiang Yu, the overlord of Chu. He has a famous saying: "wealth does not return to his hometown, like clothes embroidered at night, who knows!" "

The background of this sentence is: at the Hongmen banquet, Liu Bang dodged a bullet, quickly led the troops to escape, and was abandoned during the inspection. Xiang Yu led his troops into Xianyang, slaughtered and set fire to it, plundered the treasures and beauties of the Qin Dynasty, and ran around here and there. Someone quickly advised him: "Don't go, Guanzhong is a good place, with mountains and rivers as barriers, fortresses on all sides, fertile land, capital and hegemony."

However, Xiang Yu is not thinking about success, or he thinks he has achieved great success. He hurried back to his hometown to show off. "What's the difference between having money and not going home and wearing beautiful clothes at night?" Be sure to show off, let those people in my hometown see it, and let them envy and hate it!

If the capital is Guanzhong, can't Xiang Yu show off in front of Guanzhong people? No, because Guanzhong people didn't know Xiang Yu before, so they should feel it in front of acquaintances.

Marx said: "The essence of man is the sum of all social relations." Social attribute is the essential attribute of human beings, and one should care about the feelings of others more or less. "Others" are not strangers, but acquaintances.

Xiang Yu's social relations were established in his hometown. Some people look down on him, some people look down on him, some people appreciate him and help him. Now, he is wearing clothes to go home. He wants to please those who have appreciated him, humiliate those who have despised him, and make all the people in his hometown who have never traveled far and experienced great events worship him. ...

This series of complex psychological activities can only be completed between acquaintances.

Unfortunately, if Xiang Yu was born in the contemporary era, he could have set the capital in Guanzhong and then published his tyrannical Xianyang content in his circle of friends, and admirers and flatterers would definitely fall into the waterfall.

The development of network technology has created a virtual space, and modern people have greatly broadened their social interaction with the help of virtual space. In modern times, showing off can also be summarized as "mass sending", that is, showing off in WeChat group and friends circle. After the outbreak of COVID-19 epidemic, people who ate fried bats in friends circle and Weibo suddenly became street rats, busy deleting and apologizing.

Xiang Yu, a Xiaxiang native of Sishui (now Suqian, Jiangsu Province), gave up the best option of building Guanzhong as the capital and crossed his legs to return to his hometown, with Pengcheng as the capital (now Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province). History has proved that this is a strategic mistake of Xiang Yu.

Shi Zai: Xiang Yu also put the wise man who suggested that he set his capital in Guanzhong into the pot and boiled him to death, because the latter saw that Xiang Yu did not adopt his suggestion and said a complaint: "People say that the Chu people crowned him as a monkey, and it really happened." Xiang Yu was furious: How can you compare a bully like me who has made great contributions to the world with a monkey in a hat?

Later, Xiang Yu was defeated, preferring to commit suicide in Wujiang rather than listen to the advice of Wujiang Tingchang, and returned to Jiangdong to make a comeback because he was "ashamed to see his elders in Jiangdong".

Only by touching the life that Xiang Yu likes to show off can we understand his tragic ending.

Besides, showing off at the same level-the occurrence of showing off is mostly at the same level except for the acquaintance society. For example, in the troubled times of the Western Jin Dynasty, there was a grandiose Shi Chong who was famous for "striving for money".

Shi Chong only fights for money with his own king, who is almost an order of magnitude. He didn't dare to compete with the emperor for wealth, and he wouldn't fight with Tao Yuanming, and he wouldn't just drag a common people to the streets to fight.

Mr. Lu Xun wrote that Ah Q and Wang Hu were fighting to catch lice. Ah Q has always looked down on Wang Hu. Unexpectedly, Wang Hu catches lice more accurately and harder than he does, and he can't stand the fact that Wang Hu's lice are bigger than him. He thought it was Wang Hu's shameless performance, so he had a big fight. Ah Q won't compete with Grandpa and fake foreign devils to catch lice. His opponents are only Wang Hu and D, not an order of magnitude, or a class, and it is easy to overturn.

After the peasant uprising at the end of Qin Dynasty, Chen Sheng became king, and Chen Sheng took him around the palace, which naturally meant showing off. However, when he was young, he was ignorant, envious and jealous. He talked endlessly about Chen Sheng's embarrassing events a few years ago, and Bobby Chen was very depressed: It was supposed to open your eyes, but who told you to talk nonsense?

Instigated by the villains around him, he actually killed Mix and lost his heart from then on. Think about it, too. "A swan" and "a sparrow" are not an order of magnitude at all. Whoever shows off is bored.

Finally, let's talk about showing off strength, which is the most common and uncontrollable among all kinds of shows, but it is also the most dangerous and easy to overturn. Power is a "double-edged sword", which needs to be used and supervised correctly. For example, the "Hubei Defence War" and "Wuhan Defence War" against the epidemic can be called the sonorous songs of one heart and one mind, but from time to time, harsh notes pop up-or show off "my husband's cow in the police station", or show off the ability to move fruits and vegetables into the box at home, or show off the ability of the official father to arrange vehicles to take himself back to Jingzhou from Tianmen when the road is closed. ...

In the extraordinary period, we are still so thoughtless as to "show off", "cheat" and "cheat" without discussion, which shows that the pleasure of showing off power is fierce. Unsupervised power is poison; Showing off is the icing on the cake.

Second, how did the show-off psychology come into being?

Psychologist Adler said in Inferiority and Transcendence: The essence of showing off is inferiority, so people who like to show off too much usually have a strong sense of inferiority. This is brilliant. Jia Baoyu, the hero of A Dream of Red Mansions, won't show off how many beautiful women there are and how many jewels there are at home.

Who is too keen to show off because of a strong sense of inferiority?

Wang Zhen, the great eunuch in the early Ming Dynasty, can sit in a suitable position. Wang Zhen was originally a poor rural teacher in Yuzhou (now Yuxian County, Hebei Province) and was looked down upon. He also thought it was really difficult to get ahead through the imperial examination, so he resolutely entered the palace and entered the palace.

Few eunuchs were literate in the early Ming Dynasty (from Zhu Yuanzhang's regulation to prevent eunuchs from interfering in politics). Wang Zhen is nothing among literati, but among a group of illiterate eunuchs, he can be called a great scholar. In addition, Wang Zhen is "cunning" and good at observing people's wishes. After entering the palace, he was favored by Emperor Xuanzong of Ming Dynasty and was arranged to serve the Crown Prince Zhu Qizhen, later Ming Yingzong. After Zhu Qizhen succeeded to the throne, Wang Zhen became his most trusted person, calling him "Sir", and thus the seeds of tragedy were planted.

In fact, the "change of civil castles" that led to the turning point of the national movement in the Ming Dynasty can be completely avoided. Even if the tragedy is about to happen, there is a chance to avoid it. After being destroyed by Wang Zhen, he was proud of himself and liked to show off. As a result, he became a dead eunuch. He urged the emperor to personally levy Walla and left the capital with the elite of the Ming Dynasty. When he arrived in Datong, he felt bad and was ready to leave.

Do or die and Wang Zhen are bent on showing off and want to withdraw from Zijingguan (now northwest of Yixian County, Hebei Province) so that Yingzong can open his mansion through his hometown Yuzhou, show his prestige to his hometown elders and sweep away his inferiority complex-"You see, today's emperors are all my students."

As a result, after walking four miles, Wang Zhen suddenly remembered that a large group of people passing through Yuzhou would certainly destroy the pastoral crops in his hometown, so he quickly ordered the diversion to the east and marched in the direction of Fu Xuan (now Xuanhua, Hebei), only to be caught up by the Walla army.

Even so, it's not too late to be saved. Ming Yingzong had a chance to retreat to Juyongguan (meaning peace), but considering that there were still a few carts that were not able to catch up with him, which were full of treasures he had searched all the way and local filial piety, Wang Zhen told everyone not to wait any longer and spent the night in the civil fort, resulting in a tight encirclement. Then, no then.

There is no doubt that eunuch Wang Zhen is a very inferior person. He has an unbearable past, and he can only prove his sense of superiority today by showing off his power, emperor and treasure.

Seeking superiority in front of others is the essence of showing off. On closer examination, there is such a logic in showing off psychology: different → superior → I am better than you → you are not convinced. The first three are progressive self-psychological inferences, and "you are not convinced" is the ultimate goal.

For example, analyzing the psychology of "game" consumers is nothing more than "scarcity is precious". Game is unpalatable and expensive, and sometimes it has some legal "small risks". So "ordinary people can't eat", and if we can eat, then we are not "ordinary people".

There are many such scenes: several people are chatting, and some people inadvertently say that they have eaten all kinds of flying on the ground, and they have not eaten them. Listening to their descriptions, they are drooling and envious. People who bask in pangolin blood fried rice and fry bats in a circle of friends often get a long list of envy: "When can I eat it?" Eating game has become an act of showing off wealth and even suggesting power.

Of course, in addition to the spiritual pleasure brought by the feeling of "ordinary people", people who like to eat game are more important to their own bodies-game has a unique effect, and showing off has a clear logic, which is also the embodiment of the animal instinct of the showman: I ate, I made up, I am strong, my body is better than yours, and I am stronger.

What is "the animal instinct of the performer"? Natalie Angel, an American scholar, lists a large number of cases in the book Beauty of Beasts in which male birds show off their feathers or crow to attract females during the breeding season. The more gorgeous the feathers, the louder the crow, the greater the attraction to females, and the greater the possibility of giving birth to a second generation together.

Desmond morris, a British zoologist, made a more interesting discussion in the book Naked Ape. He wrote: Although man is an advanced animal, he also evolved from a lower level. Many habits today may have an ancient genetic background. After all, selfish genes are at work: in the fierce competition, you can only pass on your genes if you find a healthy partner.

Showing off is an instinct of human beings, which has a long history. Unfortunately, it has changed. Compared with the primitive people who proudly and simply showed off their strong physique in front of the opposite sex under the unpolluted blue sky in the wild era, the people who rely on "games" to "strengthen the yang" at present are really obscene!

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Is the game delicious? No, the environment in which wild animals grow is completely different from that in which animals are raised. Animals are raised to provide food for human beings, and wild animals are for life, with muscles, no fat and tight meat. Are "games" nutritious? No, the so-called "tonic" through "games" is the most absurd way to keep fit.

On the contrary, eating wild animals, on the one hand, leads to the extinction of a certain kind of animals, on the other hand, causes terrible infectious diseases, which is shocking. Engels was so right: "We should not be too intoxicated with human's victory over nature. Every time such a victory, nature will retaliate against us. "

From this point of view, human beings show off all kinds of things, most of which are self-deception, which is particularly absurd and simply cannot stand the test of time. Yesterday's publicity may hide my face and sigh today: how can I be so stupid?

Beginning of spring, a film starring Jiang, tells the story of young writers and artists in a small town struggling between their dreams and reality in the 1980s.

In the film, there is a dance teacher in the county mass art museum who always wears a pair of tight white ballet pants and is laughed at by the county people everywhere. In fact, even with his current personality, a man wearing such pants will inevitably make people stunned. But many years ago, for example, in France around18th century, it was popular for aristocratic men to wear a pair of white tight trousers. Thinking about that photo, they are drunk, too. In today's view, men wearing white tights is not only an evil aesthetic, but also a great hidden danger to health.

Napoleon lost the Battle of Waterloo because his right-wing commander, grouchy, whose ability was mediocre, failed to reinforce the battlefield in time. However, there is another saying. It is said that at the most intense moment of the battle, Napoleon had to rest in a tent because he could not ride a horse to personally command the battlefield because of hemorrhoids. Why did Napoleon get hemorrhoids? The culprit is tight pants.

Fashion is always the theme of showing off. There used to be a quip: "Fashion is good, except for the flu." In fact, apart from the flu, many popular things to show off are not good, but meaningless and even harmful.

For example, ancient Roman aristocratic women were popular in whitening. However, they actually use lead to whiten the skin. Lead is poisonous. After several generations, the consequences finally broke out. Many women lost their fertility, but they still maintained their fertility and gave birth to many imbeciles.

It can be said that showing off has a long history with human civilization, but it is sometimes a disease of the times. For example, during World War II, Japanese soldiers, mostly of some ranks, liked to carry a saber with them, so the Allies wanted to know: Why did some pilots carry a long saber? As a result, I couldn't jump out when I parachuted, and I was stuck in a narrow cabin by a saber and burned alive.

At that time, the Allies had a joke: Japanese army knives were not only used to commit suicide by cutting abdomen, but also used to make iron for us when surrendering. Why are Japanese soldiers so obsessed with impractical sabers in the era of hot weapons? The masterpiece Chrysanthemum and Knife clearly points out that "Knife" is a symbol of Bushido culture. For Japanese soldiers, carrying long knives goes far beyond the meaning of weapons, and is more of an identity display.

Smiling Ishihara, known as "Japan's number one strategist", is arrogant and is one of the chief culprits of the September 18th Incident. This person is undoubtedly a master of theory, but his physical coordination is average. Results I was stabbed in the crotch by my own saber, which led to tearing of urethral orifice, and long-term hematuria led to bladder cancer.

Although this man escaped the gallows of the Tokyo Grand Trial, he died of bladder cancer soon after. The time was1August 949 15, which coincided with the fourth anniversary of Japan's surrender. How did Ishihara smile hit the key part with a saber? All kinds of articles are vague.

It is said that on the night of the September 18th Incident, Ishihara, the initiator, was so excited that he drew his sword on the wall of Shenyang. hands in the air shouted loudly and chopped down obliquely, which was a classic show-off. As a result, he cut off his crotch because of his poor physical coordination. This statement is very Japanese, but it is too dramatic and unbelievable. According to the analysis, he should have mishandled the disassembly.

This is the price of showing off.

Showing off is meaningless and has a price. Why can't people avoid customs? After all, I still pursue an illusory sense of superiority. French writer Mo Bosang wrote a short story "Necklace", which tells that Mathilde, the wife of a small civil servant, borrowed a diamond necklace from a friend to show off her beauty in order to attend a party. Unexpectedly, the necklace was accidentally lost on the way home. She had to borrow money to buy a new necklace and then give it back to her friend. In order to pay her debts, she worked hard for ten years and her beauty was gone. Finally, I realized that the necklace I borrowed was just a fake diamond necklace.

What could better illustrate the absurdity of showing off?

How to control the impulse to show off? It's not easy, after all, showing off is one of human instinct.

Economists can formulate a formula to calculate the "ostentation cost" before ostentation, which is roughly the superiority brought by ostentation minus the possible troubles. If it's negative, don't show off.

The late writer Wang Xiaobo wrote a story about his brother: "In difficult times, one day at dinner, everyone had a small piece of bacon in his bowl. When my brother saw it, he couldn't hold back his ecstasy. He rushed to the balcony and shouted to the whole world: Our family eats big fish and meat! As a result, my dad dragged me back and gave me a rotten meal. "

It is conceivable that Wang's younger brother will have a long memory in the future. After all, temporary spiritual pleasure is bought with physical pain. Even a small piece of bacon may be confiscated that day, and it is safest to bury your head in the meat. China people's way of life has always advocated "focusing on getting rich", which is not unreasonable.

However, sometimes, compared with a smart and rich person, people will feel that a lively showman is safer. This is the complexity of human nature-people who show off easily, and people who are afraid of being taciturn and unpredictable. The latter is often either good or evil.

This problem still needs to be solved by law, punishing those who "make a fortune by muffling their voices" through illegal means and drawing a red line for those who are keen on showing off.

Since the outbreak of new crown pneumonia, the voice of how to effectively protect wild animals has never been higher. On the afternoon of 24th, the 16th meeting of the 13th the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) voted to pass a decision on the total prohibition of illegal wildlife trade, so as to get rid of the bad habit of eating wild animals and effectively protect people's lives, health and safety. This is very important information. Without a gourmet who is addicted to "games", there is no buying and selling, and there is no killing without buying and selling.

Use the law to control the conspicuous consumption of these diners, let them eat well and punish the bad, and never dare to try the law. "Can't eat, dare not eat, don't want to eat", through legal constraints, gradually form habits and change this bad habit culturally, which is the fundamental policy to protect wild animals.