This Christmas Middle Class American Struggling Along Without Extreme Luxuries

Indianapolis, Indiana

Local everyman James Reynolds is a man of modest means and modest needs, at least he was until he became aware, through technology, of literally all the lifestyles of all the people in America. Now James, whose job and lifestyle are better than 95% of the people who have ever lived upon the planet earth in the entirety of its history, is feeling a growing discontentment. Even though he does magical things every year like eat good food, travel more than 10 miles from his home, experience pleasures that most people in human history have never experienced like Belgian ale, and never struggle to merely survive, still others apparently live better than he does.

Just the other day, a social media post made it clear that some other acquaintance of James' got to go wine tasting in Tuscany. Another friend just bought a sports car. Still another got a home in Vail, another some designer clothes, and another a boat. James realized that these people's lives are clearly so far beyond his as to make him hold his many blessings in contempt, as he should! He deserves all that they do. They are no better than he is. Why should they get all these things and he should be so impoverished of human experience. What really is the difference between some poor orphan who always wanted a plushy toy for Christmas and finally is given one by some generous benefactor and poor James?

This Christmas, James feels entitled to see his life as empty and unfulfilled until he gets what he has always wanted since the last few posts of his social media friends. As a man of simpler tastes than all those materialists, all he ever wanted was a Brunello Cuccinelli cashmere sweater. Well, also a single bottle of Chateau Petrus. Okay, he is a man of simple tastes and also just wants to have one Porche in his life. Clearly compared to so many these are modest needs.