- In trying to fit in, you end up spending more, believing people are watching and that they care about you, when in reality, no one actually does. That makes everything more expensive. Take Mexico, for example: we often prefer to spend $1,000 on something that could’ve cost $700, just so we can look down on those who can only afford to spend $500. This mindset fuels classism, social and economic disparity, and—indirectly—even corruption, as people become obsessed with reaching the highest status they can possibly aspire to.