"fleeting" is the key, by my reckoning.
some folks place their self worth on money or stature, and chase it without mercy or fatigue. when they succeed it's 'fleeting'- and it's also a drunken elation. when they fail, it's also fleeting- and it has the polar opposite impact. seems these types are always sprinting and coasting, never settled and never at peace.
the mental gymnastics people employ to justify actions has always, for some perverse reason, intrigued me... unless a dude is a sociopath (unable to distinguish right from wrong on a social level, only a personal level) 'robbing that bank' is just plain wrong.... unless he's come up with some way to justify it in his head such as "my kid needed those new sneakers" or "i want to give some of that money to the needy"...
point being, when someone's 'self image' doesn't match up with other people's perspective, or better said what the person 'thinks' others think of them, problems ensue. it's like some dude walking around wanting others to think he's 'tough'-> that dude is bound to be challenged by someone also wanting that moniker. trouble ensues. or, some dude perceives his persona as one which would be best suited as a 'rich and powerful possible benefactor type', but doesn't have the means to play the role..... so.... he justifies ripping somebody off because 'he is more suited and they just don't deserve it as much as he'....
sprinkle in some insanity, and really weird and bad things happen....all because a persons self perception isn't close to others perceptions, and which happens to also be the key to that persons 'self value'...
i'm thinking this circumstance you describe is in this category... and it's a shame. i'm thinking that there is absolute honor and reward in living a quiet unassuming life, where others perceptions don't impact your own self -perception/worth. this 'type' of problem certainly isn't assisted by the material world, to be sure.
parents ought to teach children their value isn't demonstrable in tangible things, and if they identify 'good' or 'successful' by what they see of a person at first glance, then they're wrong. I need to remember this as my child (four turning five) gets older. material shit in this world will damn near all end up in a land fill somewhere- identifying the things that matter is easier, as none of that will end up along side the shit... and damn near all of the things that won't be tossed are intangible. Somebody ought to have explained this to Grow.... Somebody ought to have explained this to likely half the prison population in this country (the other half being drug related- as in users- and chasing that high)....
anyhow... jacked up story
@OrangeAfroMan ... set me to pontificating...
