Not just in the U.S., but the rest of the world. As the human race exhausts the finite resources of our planet — something that seems likely to happen in this century — virtually everyone in the developed world will face a decision: how much conspicuous consumption is needed to satisfy our egos. The problem (for our planet and our species) is that conspicuous consumption is deeply embedded in our psyches, because it satisfies a wide range of ego desires, from hoped-for sexual attractiveness to professional achievement. As long as it is perceived as playing even a small role in sexual selection or career advancement, it is likely to persist…or perhaps even grow worse as resources become scarcer and therefore become an even more “important” and reliable signal of fitness.

It will be interesting to see how our species responds to this problem, assuming we survive long enough for it to reach crisis dimensions.