Tweet
The impressionist: Living beyond your means
YOU probably know someone at your workplace who drives an expensive vehicle, pays an exorbitant rent in an upscale neighbourhood, wears brand name clothes and is present at every high-end social event.
If you scratch beneath the surface, you may find that he/she is up to their necks in debt. They owe the bank for the car, the landlord back rent and the store owner for the last three outfits they wore. He/she may also owe co-workers hundreds of dollars.
What is it that drives such an individual to behave in this cavalier manner? The following are some possible reasons:
* The individual is a part of a social group where flashy living is the hallmark of the group and in order to feel a sense of belonging he/she has to play the game.
* The individual has an affinity for the "high life" and so has to do what is necessary to maintain the image.
* The individual is searching for friends at a certain calibre and feels that if he/she dresses a certain way or lives in a certain community, he/she will attract persons of like kind.
* The individual lacks a positive sense of self and is suffering from low self-esteem. In a bid to address this lack, he/she goes overboard to compensate.
* The individual in a bid to impress the opposite sex lives a life of deception and a bid to win their attention.
Advice for the impressionist
* Live within your means. Your colleagues and others will know that you are pretending to be what you are not and will shun you.
* Find more wholesome and honest ways to deal with your self-esteem issues. Lying and deception will only make matters worse.
* Living a life you can't sustain will lead to stress and depression.
* Soon your reputation will precede you and creditors will avoid you like a plague.
* Embarrassment and shame are the order of the day for persons who live the impressionist lifestyle.
Those who interact with impressionists should:
* Avoid lending them money that will feed in to their lifestyle.
* Have an heart to heart talk with him/her and encourage him/her to stay grounded to honesty and integrity.
* Act as an accountable partner for him/her so as to help him/her avoid yielding to the temptation of greed.
* Some of these persons suffer from serious psychological issues like low self-esteem and obsessive/compulsion. Encourage them to seek professional counselling.
YOU probably know someone at your workplace who drives an expensive vehicle, pays an exorbitant rent in an upscale neighbourhood, wears brand name clothes and is present at every high-end social event.
If you scratch beneath the surface, you may find that he/she is up to their necks in debt. They owe the bank for the car, the landlord back rent and the store owner for the last three outfits they wore. He/she may also owe co-workers hundreds of dollars.
What is it that drives such an individual to behave in this cavalier manner? The following are some possible reasons:
* The individual is a part of a social group where flashy living is the hallmark of the group and in order to feel a sense of belonging he/she has to play the game.
* The individual has an affinity for the "high life" and so has to do what is necessary to maintain the image.
* The individual is searching for friends at a certain calibre and feels that if he/she dresses a certain way or lives in a certain community, he/she will attract persons of like kind.
* The individual lacks a positive sense of self and is suffering from low self-esteem. In a bid to address this lack, he/she goes overboard to compensate.
* The individual in a bid to impress the opposite sex lives a life of deception and a bid to win their attention.
Advice for the impressionist
* Live within your means. Your colleagues and others will know that you are pretending to be what you are not and will shun you.
* Find more wholesome and honest ways to deal with your self-esteem issues. Lying and deception will only make matters worse.
* Living a life you can't sustain will lead to stress and depression.
* Soon your reputation will precede you and creditors will avoid you like a plague.
* Embarrassment and shame are the order of the day for persons who live the impressionist lifestyle.
Those who interact with impressionists should:
* Avoid lending them money that will feed in to their lifestyle.
* Have an heart to heart talk with him/her and encourage him/her to stay grounded to honesty and integrity.
* Act as an accountable partner for him/her so as to help him/her avoid yielding to the temptation of greed.
* Some of these persons suffer from serious psychological issues like low self-esteem and obsessive/compulsion. Encourage them to seek professional counselling.