The Hazards of Too Much Wealth

I guess it was about half a year ago that I saw a television program on the Victorian era.  It concentrated on the lifestyles of the newly rich.  They were portrayed as parvenus who did not know how to handle such good fortune.  Their big hats and even bigger egos were anything but attractive.

Let me explain.  Mark Twain called the end of the nineteenth century the Gilded Age.  It was a period of unprecedented wealth.  Industrialization made the United States extremely affluent.  Indeed, it had become the richest nation in all of history.

As a corollary, the titans of industry became richer than any previous cohort.  Moreover, many of them came from humble roots and so did not know what to do with their bounty.  They therefore looked to the British aristocracy for role models.

American millionaires thus built palaces in which to reside.  They too threw lavish balls for which they could dress to the nines.  They likewise turned dinner into a stage setting choreographed in every detail.  Nothing was to be out of place.  No extravagance was too extreme.

And yet, these encumbrances were uncomfortable.  Wearing white tie finery to dinner required hours of preparation and resulted in stilted personal interactions.  People were so busy brandishing the symbols of success that they had little time to enjoy them.

Are our current middle classes—and to some extent our lower classes—experiencing a similar affluence shock?  Have we too become so wealthy that we do not know how to employ our assets?  Are we too wasting these advantages on frills that do not convert into personal happiness?

To me, the computer and its various accouterments are exhibit number one.  Many of us are so eager to possess the latest technological wizardry that we do not ask how it will improve our lives.  What, for instance, is the point of having an electronic servant order theater tickets for us?

And what is this business about social media.  If we spend so many hours on Facebook that we accumulate thousands of “friends,” do we have any real friends?  Can an electronic “like” replace the warm smile of a flesh and blood companion?

So badly have our social skills atrophied that people have a harder time establishing love relationships.  The upshot is that family stability is in jeopardy.  Marriages do not last, while children are at the mercy of parents who are more concerned with their own happiness.

As for our automobiles and houses, the larger and more luxurious they are evidently the better.  This cultural gigantism might not translate into additional comfort, but if my toy is bigger and fancier than your toy, I have won the competition to be best.

Next, come our outrageous fashions.  Somehow green hair is supposed to be attractive.  Well, maybe not attractive.  The objective is apparently to be noticed, not admired.  People want to stand out as opposed to achieving anything worthwhile.

Contemporary musical tastes, however, are probably the most revealing.  Sentimental melodies and insightful lyrics have been replaced by raucous rhythms and mean-spirited screams.  Not talent, but attention getting audacity is the goal of many performers.

What is the point of all this?  Is it to distract us from the fact that we have more opportunities than previous generations, but less of an idea what to do with them?  It is as if we had a banquet laid out before us, but got into a food fight because we did not know what to eat first.

So let me make a few suggestions.  Relationships matter.  Loving and being loved never go out of fashion.  Nonetheless, good relations begin with understanding ourselves.  We cannot make solid commitments to others if we are ignorant of who we are and what we want.  This, however, takes courage.

Achievements also matter.  Doing things that are worth doing provides self-respect and social dignity.  Making the world a better place deserves recognition and frequently commands it.  Yet here too courage is of inestimable value.  We could, after all, fail.

My last word.  Wealth is a tool—not an end in itself.  If we do not use it wisely, it can backfire.  Furthermore, this is a skill we are able to acquire, but only if we recognize its worth.

Melvyn L. Fin, Ph.D.

Professor of Sociology

Kennesaw State University