People in America and around the world aspire to achieve their dreams for the sole purpose of leading a wealthy lifestyle.

The ideas that “living in luxury” is pure happiness and that you must go into a good paying job to earn a certain status, are extremely toxic. Our society has twisted what it means to live a happy life which leaves a lot of us wondering, what’s more important? Luxury or humility?

Since the birth of the social media, the quality of life, and what we value as human beings, has dramatically changed. With just a few taps on our cell phones, we are able to pull up pictures of posh houses around the globe, watch celebrities on their extravagant vacations and shop for clothing items that walk the runways.

Everyone wants the new Supreme shirt, or the fanciest Mercedes model, or decides to work for their whole life so they can eventually buy the most expensive house on the market. But what is so special about leading a life full of luxury? The aesthetically pleasing Instagram feed you’ll have? Showing off the gadgets and clothes that are unnecessarily costly? There is no true benefit to living in luxury but there is in living in humility.

Our society has truly lost sight of a simple but rewarding lifestyle. In today’s world, humility is so important. Being down to Earth and staying humble is a personality trait that is so uncommon to find in people nowadays.

Because of the new infatuation with having the very best items, people have learned to be rude to others who seem “below” them due to the way they are living.

Having a mid-sized house, a car that is a few years old or clothes that didn’t cost you a fortune, is often looked down upon today. But in reality, those people are living a happier and healthier life than those who chose to live in luxury.

Fancy clothes, big ticket items and over the top vacations are not need to be happy. Sure, these things are nice but they certainly aren’t necessary to feel content or successful.

In a world where people feel the need to be better than everyone around them in every way, it is more important to be yourself and stay down to Earth no matter what level of success you reach than ever before.

We often forget what it’s like to simply be nice to others around us and we are slowly losing the value of kindness because luxury has become more important.

Sadly, all people seem to care about now is how others perceive them and they will do the unimaginable just so they are see in a certain status. But that is not all there is to life. You do not have to spend thousands of dollars on anything to live a life full of happiness and humility.

By simply picking a job in a career you enjoy, living modestly and kindly and never letting success or other life factors get to your head, you are already making an important decision.

The lifestyle you choose may be looked down upon by the millions of people on social media who share every moment of everyday in their lavish houses, cars, and travels.

Just think of how many posts you scroll by in a single day that are just of a person showing off their luxurious lifestyle. There are too many to count. From YouTubers to movie stars to singers, social media is polluted with the “perfect” lifestyle. But it is very rare to come across a post or a person that doesn’t fit in that category.

Humility is so important not just to our society but to our well-being and the way we live. So the next time you think about switching your major to get a higher paying job doing something you don’t love or you are thinking about purchasing a new Gucci watch, consider the options.

What will those choices and items mean in a few days, weeks, or years? A lifestyle of true luxury or just a symbol of money? Just remember to always stay humble no matter what. Humility is what the world needs.