"Rich" is a word that's totally been abused for too long especially by the Nigerian law enforcement agencies. So many people are living the "fake-it-till-you-make-it" life. How do I mean? In the country, I've seen people who need to borrow clothes; shirt and tie to attend interviews of jobs they haven't gotten in order to create first impression. I've seen lawyers who had to borrow cars to convince their prospective clients, that their years of actively winning many cases have brought them wealth and untold riches.
Of course, they wouldn't vocally express this. What they do is to subconsciously portray this message by wearing expensive clothes and riding and exotic car just to get a job of maybe $400 (that's if they eventually win the case in court). In Nigeria, good clothes and nice perfumes creates a great first impression. In fact wearing turtle-necks and making great marketing videos on YouTube is how so many scammers have swindled people of their hard-earned money.
Government Workers: Crafting The Perfect Illusion
The issue with law enforcement is even crazier. The only way to bypass them is to be shabbily dressed and have unkempt hair and possibly having only 50 cents in your pockets. Government workers are great examples of this. A friend worked in an agency, where she was the accountant. She was often told by her superiors to writer extra zeroes at the back of whatever cheque she issued on the company's behalf in other to take care of the company's expenditure, then they would divert the funds and kept coming to the office wearingworn-out shoes and creating a physical illusion that they're broke.
Although the money they spend on food and drink, would personally give them out, but since they've created that image by appearing "broke" they're always let of the hook. The main rich people are trying to stay off the radar, why the people who are struggling are trying hard to appear rich in other in inorganically open doors of opportunity for themselves.
The Brand Illusion
It's rampant on the internet. iPhone 13 pro max for example, signals wealth, but this isn't the Same for Galaxy S22 ultra (that might be the same price or even more expensive than the 13 pro max). Why? Isn't money supposed to be fungible? Value based on valuation and not the assets? It's like creating the illusion that 500k is smaller than half a million. This is a proof to how money, creates a spiral of illusion while leaving a ripple effect.
Now, this is because people chose to buy brand, they equate value to Apple, simply because it's deemed to be so expensive that only a few can afford apple products, hence when you own a iPhone, it automatically upgrades your status and open doors you'll normally not open. While it may just be a tool or gadget for people who are probably just content creators, the tag of owning an iPhone brings both notoriety and popularity. To law enforcement agencies it sends a different message, to other people it does different too, the illusion of money creates different opinion and beliefs in people.
The Hologram In The Media
So many people are being pressured to become and stay rich. The media itself is propagating some certain discrimination in Nigeria. When it comes to advertising energy drinks or sore throat tablets, they're quick to create an illusion of poverty. But when it comes to advertising Real estate, they tend to create an impression that only rich people or wealthy scenes are needed to sell the message or Real estate.
In reality, people who own nothing have come from ground zero to own Real estates. They're not painting a perfect picture of reality, but the fact that they're trying to sell an impression and create that disparity the do what they do, in they way that deem it good. They're subconsciously trying to portray that poor people are hard workers while rich people are smart workers. The tag of being "poor" alone shut doors for people irrespective of how they're struggling.
Get rich or stay hustling???
No.... Not this time, the situation of the country makes people want to get rich or create a false illusion that they're actually rich. Young people are pressure into finishing University at 18 and getting their PhD by 23. The rush of timeframe creates a certain futility. People attach meaning to being the first to accomplishing things early in life, while putting pressure on people who are supposed to be late bloomers. The issue with creating an illusion of being rich is that. You'll spend. Living a fake life isn't easy, you have to always spend to maintain the status quo.
Nevertheless, this isn't totally bad, some people live fake lives with genuine intentions, just that overtime you lose your ability for mental accounting, and your sense of frugality is often lost. I try to stay off pressure from friend and family, peer groups, online marketing and advertising. The goal is to be comfortable for me as I still feel that "Rich" is a concept we mostly shouldn't see as a ride-or-die affair
Interested in some more of my works?
A Personal View Into The Meaning Of Spirituality (ecoTrain QOTW)
Why You Couldn't Create Good Contents In 2021, Why You Still Wouldn't In 2022.
A Psychoanalytic Dive Into Incentivized Loyalty
The Nigerian/African Disposition On Marriage As An Endowment
Living & Living Unintentionally (The Financial Repercussion)
@Josediccus, your brother-in-pen & heart
I'm hoping to reach more people who are broken at heart and spirit, so share on any platform or reblog