Living a lie - Keeping up with the Jones

It's one thing to be ambitious, but it is another to hang one's hat where they might not be able to reach it. Some of us might recognize these traits in some of our pretentious friends or neighbors or even someone that we just happen to know of. For those of us who don't know of it, it's simply the fake lives that some people live or even more so the things they do to fit in a particular group.

At different levels in our society people are always trying to fit into specific social circles and groups, and they make several decisions that might influence this, as in  the way they speak and behave or the places they hang out and most commonly the things that they do for leisure. For many  who so desperately trying to fit into their desired groups, they are often people who are  insecure about their lives and judge themselves before others get a chance to do so. As a result of this they are obsessed with the way  people perceive them and even more so about the way they perceive themselves.

They feel incomplete without having a certain type of cell phone, living in a certain type of area, the food that they eat, the cars  they drive, and the type of schools that their kids attend.  In most of these situations not only can they barely afford it, but also it's really not them.

However, they do it to impress of just for a show. Such cases are usually destructive as these people put up fronts in their lives, living way beyond their means just for the perception of others. They live the lie.

When asked, several people in Half Way Tree, Kingston expressed that incidents of the topic are common among people of middle class backgrounds who are trying  to keep up with the Jones. One man went on to share his views that, "it's  those of us who are not accepting of ourselves and social status that try to paint a fake pictures so others will see us in a better light".

On the other hand, many others might believe that it is through aspirations that we ascend to our full potentials. Accepting one's life as it is, and not giving up or settling is basically being realistic and might be a very important place to start in achieving whatever you want to achieve.

In my opinion at least you will have a clear idea of where things stand. In life we need to be considerate of the things we do and the way we portray ourselves, but let it be for your benefit and satisfaction. Living a double life is hard , but living a fake life is even harder. At the end of the day before you try to fit into that particular group or circle by whatever means, think carefully about, "who you are, who you are not and importantly who you want to be".