Is Conspicuous Consumption a Cost Benefit Decision?

Stephanie Coontz: Is it aspirational consumerism to buy things you don't need, but want? Or do we aspire to be the sort of person who has enough money in the bank that they could willie nilly buy and then give away. She asks what this kind of behavior says about our own identity. coontz: Maybe not only logic of appropriateness or optimism, but also optimism.