Many people like to show off their lives; actually, they’re not showing their life—they’re showing their longing for external recognition. Houses, cars, education, travel, and social circles: on the surface they’re displaying the things they own, but behind it they’re often trying to prove their worth. Displaying things isn’t inherently wrong, because society itself is basically a signal-exchange system. The truly valuable kind of display is one meant to let others see your abilities, achievements, and value, so you can gain resources, opportunities, and partnerships. But a display done only to win envy and approval, in essence, hands your own value over to others to define. The difference isn’t in what you post—it’s in whether you’re using your display to create value, or relying on your display to find value.