The Snobbery of Connoisseurs

There are plenty of things in which I have preferences. I like my newspaper previously unread and untouched and the spines of my books uncreased. But it only goes so far. I'll still read the paper if it's been torn apart and folded backwards. I'll still keep a book that's falling apart.

But some folks make me laugh with their prissiness. They have drawn lines in the sand that they just cannot bring themselves to cross. They are incarcerated in self-imposed prisons by pride and snobbery and peer pressure. I've seen people go without basic necessities because they wouldn't be caught dead in a certain store or wearing a certain brand of clothes.

I figure beggers can't be choosers. We have some pretty nice stuff because we've compromised in other areas. Most of our clothes fall into three categories: gifts, goodwill, and garage sales. Our kids are dressed nice but it's mostly used. Instead of twenty-five dollars for a shirt, Shannon will find the same thing, nearly new, for a dollar, literally. That adds up fast.

There are precious few things in which nitpicking adds virtue. Are you nitpicking over truth and integrity? That's worth it. But if you're nitpicking about Lexus verses Honda or Gucci verses Reebok? Well, you'll end up paying for that in more ways than one.

Materialism has a spiritual cost. You have to give up a bit of yourself to invest in a "thing." And it rarely gives back anything of value. In contrast to that if you invest selflessly, say in the life of another person or in strengthening a relationship, then the return can be enormous.

The next time you think you need something, consider what it actually costs.