Yo!
I’m curious to know how you felt when you read the subject of this email. A $300 shirt is a neutral phrase, but I know it didn’t elicit a neutral reaction from everyone. While some may not think anything of it, others might be feeling some kind of way - disapproval, horror or disgust, for example.
It’s interesting how other people’s values and spending can be viewed through the prism of ourselves, who we are, and what we value (or purport to value).
I had a fellow say to me recently, “Someone will tell me that they bought a shirt for $300 and I’m like, why would you ever do that? Why would you spend more than $10 on a shirt?”
Maybe he wonders: if the grandson of working-class folks buys a $300 shirt, does he start to become less of who he thought he was? Or does it mean he co-signs on inequality?
Money might not paint the whole picture, but it’s always a part of the story. Whether it’s an object, an artwork, who we are, or what our actions mean, there is always a story we can find and tell ourselves.
What stories about money have you been telling lately? Don’t be shy, hit reply.
Your friend,
