We live in a culture dominated by ostentation. It is the American essence.
We have decided that the appearance of excellence is better than actual excellence because it comes at a lower cost; that a cheap facade is better than a good value.
We have not made this decision consciously. We make it for other reasons; reasons of budget, reasons of expediency, reasons of laziness, for reasons of envy.
We decide thus in our consumer goods, in our clothing, in our cars and in our homes. For the most part, we prefer the McMansions to the Falling Waters, the Tommy Hillfiger to the American Apparels, and the Shopping Mall to the Town Center.
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