Imagine living in a rural farm without internet. You are surrounded by fresh air and an abundance of food. Life is simple. Would you desire a Porsche? Would you even know what a Rolex is? Of course not.
Desire is often shaped by exposure. The moment you move to the big city—where ads, influencers, and corporations constantly remind you that you’re not enough—suddenly the Porsche and the Rolex become things to chase. Not because you truly need them, but because now you know they exist, and you’ve been told they matter.
Much of what society considers “valuable” only feels that way because we’ve been conditioned to believe it is.