Interestingly, when a wealthy individual embraces a particular diet, fashion style, or way of life, society quickly describes it as classy, sophisticated, fashionable, or luxurious.
However, when someone from a less-privileged background adopts exactly the same lifestyle, it is often dismissed as ordinary, inferior, outdated, or even ridiculous.
This contradiction exposes the deep-rooted hypocrisy in our social value system, where the same things are given different interpretations simply because of the economic circumstances of those associated with them.
Unfortunately, this mentality has gradually eaten deep into the social fabric of our society, misleading people into believing that sophistication is a product of wealth rather than personal preference, quality, or individual expression.
It has created an unhealthy culture of social comparison, unnecessary competition, inferiority complexes, and the desperate pursuit of public validation. Worse still, it encourages people to attach excessive importance to material possessions while undermining the dignity of those who cannot afford them.
A particular meal does not become more nutritious because a billionaire consumes it, just as a piece of clothing does not become more fashionable merely because it is worn by someone with an impressive bank balance, or fame. The inherent value of things should not be determined by the financial standing of the people who use them.
It is therefore imperative that Nigerians and other Africans begin to reconsider this misplaced social orientation. We must learn to appreciate people's choices, preferences, and lifestyles without allowing their financial circumstances to influence our judgement.
Wealth should never be the yardstick for determining class, dignity, sophistication, or human worth. Society must abandon this unnecessary class-conscious mentality and embrace a more reasonable culture that values character, decency, substance, and individuality above material possessions.
Hence, what is considered classy in the hands of the wealthy should not become worthless in the hands of the less-privileged. Think about it.
✍️ Fred Nwaozor Author, Educator, & Mentor
