It’s customary to live a lifestyle that matches your profession and income and all the accoutrements that come with those, but while it is completely natural to “look like” a person who does what you do, it’s also important to be able to step back and see where the “look like” becomes the baggage of performative consumption.
The difficulty lies in the fact that there is no bright line to tell you when you’re in the realm of performative consumption. There is no text to consult or rule to keep in mind.
Instead there is simply self-awareness and something you might call hetero-economic proximity. The first is just: Can I be honest with myself about my needs and desires and how they are ordered relative to my value system? The second is: Am I around and in relationship with people who occupy economic strata “below” the one I’m in?
If yes to both of those, then you stand some chance at avoiding–or at least recognizing and reducing!–performative consumption. But if we can’t say yes to both then I think we have essentially no chance.
Meaningful Returns 