Why does our society promote being things you're not?

In the false disguise that you're "bettering" yourself, which is total B*llshit, you're just changing yourself, why does our society value everything from fake hair to "better" teeth, to plastic surgery procedures on faces, to "sculpted" bodies, to certain style clothes, shoes, accessories, cars, phones, houses, the list goes on eternally.

Why do we spend our lives 'trying' and aspiring to be people we're really not deep down?

Instead of growing and realizing who we are, and trying to better ourselves in those ways, we think that looking like a celebrity and living the first class lifestyle is what it's all about.

People won't wear certain clothes if they're out of season or if they're not a specific brand or designer, same with shoes, cars, etc.

We spend SO much on vanity, and at the end we're still competitive, miserable, unhappy, and never satisfied, MIND YOU, there are also poor ppl around the world starving.

How can we justify or even excuse these behaviors!?!?!?

Why does our society promote being things you're not?

You said it all...we are being brainwashed!

I tell people this all the time and they act like I'm the one whose lost my mind. We have become mindless consumers. If anyone needs proof of this, just look at how many people lined up in the middle of the night, in freezing cold weather, to buy some crap they didn't even need on black friday. It's funny how no one can be bothered to vote, or recycle, or protest against the crimes our government is committing...but they can always make the time to go shopping.

All I can say is WTF?!

Why does our society promote being things you're not?

I have none of those behaviors you discribed. I just don't think about them. I don't think about getting my hair done, or buying a bigscreen tv. I'm happy with myself. Plus it helps I have pretty skin and perfect ringlets, so I don't waste my time trying to "better" myself. If you're genuinely happy, everything just seems to fall into place. And if you don't wait for the bad crap to happen by seeing everything as a positive~nothing gets you down.

I'm one of those happy people that annoy others :) it's cool.

This all really happened the minute I quit my office job at a financial institute, and just got a simple job as a barista. I have what I need in life :) offices are horrible for the soul.

Why does our society promote being things you're not?

capitalism works best when people are convinced to buy junk that they don't need...especially if they buy on credit....

Why does our society promote being things you're not?

Wow, it looks like you are having an existential crisis here. You don't have to buy into any of that!

Personally I think that some of the celebrities who have had plastic surgery or breast jobs look awful. Why is it like this especially in America? Probably because it projects a confident and successful image and the key word here is "image".