A couple years ago I took the dogs for a walk. A block away from our home I walked by the house with the rusty old Chevy Malibu in the driveway. As I passed by I grumbled to myself: “Thanks for lowering the property values, pal.”
A couple blocks later I looped back and walked by a fellow out waxing his horrendously expensive new Porsche on his driveway. As I passed by I grumbled to myself: “I hope that needlessly exorbitant luxury item gives you some satisfaction, pal.”
A moment later it occurred to me that within a few blocks I’d judged one fellow with an old Malibu and another with a new Porsche. And I concluded that I was capable of judging pretty much anybody with a car substantially less or more valuable than mine. Indeed, I bet on a good day I could even self-righteously judge a person with a car of precisely equivalent market value.
Not many people have such finely-tuned skills. Mine are even more impressive given that I regularly lecture on topics like consumerism, hypocrisy, and the hopelessly fallen human condition. Far be it from me to impose upon myself the lessons I give to others!
