This comes from Metrics of success determine the culture.
In terms of the Indian culture, we know we should disown the success metrics driven by consumerism.
We should definitely not consider opulence as a marker of status. The number of cars, how expensive the shoes are, or how big the private yacht is should not weigh in on the person’s ideas, knowledge, or opinions.
What should be revered is a person’s curiosity, their humility, their integrity, their hard work, and their risk-taking ability. We should value a person based on how much they have contributed to society. And even punish those who are actively adding negative value to the society at large. The top management of companies like Coca-Cola should not be admired for their money. Their wealth is as ill-gotten as that of someone selling an addictive substance. It is net negative for the society.
On a macro level, we should question metrics like GDP, and arrive at a wealth metric instead of a spending metric. We know strong economies are created on production, not consumption. Consumption was a narrative that was sold to us. We want a wealthy population, not a debt-ridden one.
I would go to ridiculous amounts of lengths to question every metric right from peer reviews on research to cultural success markers like ‘dominance mindset’.
We should also understand that we have to move beyond the material plane. There has to be a time when the entire population is engaged in intellectual and spiritual pursuits. We should not just aim to catch up but leapfrog to the next dimension (New Worlds – three planes).