Ostentation is based on the display of wealth.
Ostentation is the behavior that consists of showing off and the result of said actions. The term comes from the Latin word ostentatio .
Showing off, on the other hand, implies displaying something, making it noticeable . Generally, someone who shows off seeks to attract attention to brag about something they have: money , jewelry , a luxury car , etc.
For example: “The display of wealth that some politicians make generates resentment among citizens,” “Why do you like ostentation? Don't you really enjoy your stuff if you don't show it to others? , “Ostentation doesn't bother me, inequality bothers me.”
Examples of ostentation
It is important to note that ostentation has nothing to do directly with wealth . A millionaire can have a discreet behavior and enjoy his money inside his mansion, just as a middle-class person can display what he has excessively, seeking to stand out from the crowd.
A man who drives a convertible car with loud music, while wearing a gold chain around his neck and has diamond rings on his hand, is a clear example of showing off his good economic fortune. The same could be said of a woman walking down the street in a ballgown and a hat.
Driving around in a luxury car can be considered ostentation.
a provocation
It is usually considered that ostentation is something negative , since it seems that those who show off want to throw what they have in the face of the rest of society . In a world with great economic and social inequality, ostentation can cause violence and confrontations between people.
Returning to the example of the luxury car, there are many stories of people who cannot keep their expensive cars in good condition, faced with the incessant acts of vandalism they must endure when leaving them parked in public places: from incisions made with keys to the destruction of glass or the theft of wheels, envy makes it almost impossible to move on public roads with luxury objects. However, it is very likely that the owner's attitude affects the actions of his environment; ostentation is nothing more than a provocation, an incitement to a negative and denigrating response.
In general, it is believed that people who flaunt their belongings feel a deep emptiness on an emotional level, although the same is said about those who seem to have an unhealthy need to acquire material goods and who do not make it public. It is especially difficult to find the limit between the authentic need to buy and the search to hide or disguise deep problems such as emotional deficiencies.
The ostentation and the food
Something similar happens with food: in principle, human beings need to eat to stay alive and for our body to function correctly; However, a large percentage of the middle and upper class population eats more food than necessary, since it assigns nuances related to pleasures to this action. To a certain extent, we accept desserts and tastier dishes as a fair indulgence; However, when there seems to be no way to control oneself, suspicions of underlying emotional problems begin.
The main difference between the ostentation of material goods and excessive eating is that the latter attitude can seriously affect health , in addition to not seeking any type of satisfaction related to the reaction of the environment; It is, perhaps, a decision that is entirely harmful to the body itself, but at least it does not try to hurt others. Ostentation, like bragging, feeds those who perform it with envy, temptation, and the suffering of others for not having ostentatious objects.