Shallow and Hard Working

We had talked in class that Americans work hard just to end up using that money to buy useless brand names or materials. But, is it only the American culture that is so consumed in showing off what we having and looking good? For example, when I was in Europe, fashion and cars was a huge deal also. In England, the cars were all a big deal. My own aunt and uncle owned a BMW and a Mercedes. One they didn't even drive, they left it in their garage. The other one rarely ever left their driveway. The streets were full of brand name cars like that and that was when I first saw a smart car (which, I guess, are pretty popular in the US now too). A friend of mine from London also showed me the different technology in England. Her cell phone has the ability to talk to someone on a portable camera so you see the person live while you talk to them. Like a webcam on our computers. Apparantly England's cell phones are full of extra advances like these and we haven't caught on yet.
In Paris, all the best designer clothes were found all along Champ Elysees and Paris is also known as the fashion capital of the world. So when it comes to showing off pricy names and "cool stuff", I wouldn't limit it just to America. The pressure to look the best and look the richest is everywhere.

I know I sound like i'm just trying to argue with everything, but that is not my intention of this blog.

I also disagree that people work just to get money to make themselves happy. I know that I work hard between school, a job, and extra curriculars. Though i do benefit in some way from all of these things, that is not my intention of doing it. Yes, I go to school because it is a norm/ expectation that will lead me, hopefully, to a successful career. Yes, I work because that's how I earn the money that I need, Yes, I do a lot of community service and leadership clubs because that will look good on college apps and get me some scholarships. But to be completely honest, I like going to school and I love being in the clubs that I'm in. Without school, I just feel like after a while my brain is starting to lose its ability to work as hard as it could. Laziness will set in and then my standards of work at my best will lower and lower. People may think I'm crazy, but I think that learning should be a never ending process. I love being in classboard and BOSS because it keeps me busy. I actually enjoy keeping busy, for some inexplicable reason. And if I got to choose, I would rather spend more of my week at classboard or BOSS than going to work and I only work to pay for personal spending and my cell phone. My benefits from my clubs is not the same as from work, obviously, you get money at a job and at clubs you don't really get anything. Still, I enjoy being busy at my clubs rather than being busy at work. Not many of my peers(that i know of) would rather work for nothing than work for money. So I guess I'd like to think that I defy the generalization that people only work to get money to be happy.