An ex-colleague used to show up at work with a Tumi bag. When I learned how atrociously expensive these things were, I asked him, “Why did you buy this? Was it worth it?”
This guy had bought it while working with a top-tier private equity fund, which paid insanely. He said, “I bought it to fit in. And it helped me fit in. So yes, it was worth it!” 😊
On the other hand, a socialist in a liberal arts university will die before being seen with a Tumi bag.
We don’t realise how much of what we do is driven by our desire to fit in and not violate the social norms. And while I haven’t bought Tumi bags, I have also tried to fit in, even if unconsciously.
And its implication is this: The environment you choose to be in can change who you are.
That is why, when we visit another country, we start mimicking their local customs very quickly. Nobody jumps traffic signals in the US or Singapore.
And a westerner once told me, when he was getting late on the way to airport in India, he asked the driver to speed up. But when the driver pointed out the red traffic signal, he said, “Since when did you become so respectful of traffic signals?”
People behave like people around them. From the richest to the poorest, from university professors to high-schoolers, nobody is exempt from this.
Choose your company carefully.
– Rajan