WHAT MIDDLE-CLASS INDIANS WORK SO HARD FOR — BUT DON’T NEED
- Madhukar Dama
- 11 hours ago
- 6 min read
I. FINANCIAL TRAPS
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1. Lavish Weddings
Most middle-class families work decades just to splurge it all in one event. Multi-day weddings with flashy decor, 5-star catering, 2000 guests (half unknown), pre-wedding photoshoots, drone videography — all paid by draining life's savings or taking loans.
Real Alternative:
Simple intimate weddings focused on genuine blessings, not the number of Instagram likes.
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2. Heavy Gold Jewelry
Buying kilos of gold as "security" — only to keep it hidden in lockers. Ironically, insurance premiums and theft anxiety drain more peace than gold adds security.
Real Alternative:
Minimal gold for function, not flaunting. Real security lies in skills, self-reliance, and strong family bonds.
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3. Big Fancy Apartments
Middle-class dreams hijacked by real estate marketing. They pay crores for tiny flats with glorified balconies, spending 30 years chained to EMIs.
Real Alternative:
Affordable, modest homes where financial freedom is more spacious than carpet area.
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4. SUVs and Fancy Cars
EMIs bigger than life itself. Giant cars rotting in parking lots, stuck in traffic jams, or struggling for narrow city lanes.
Real Alternative:
Buy a reliable, modest vehicle — or better, focus on walking, cycling, public transport, or shared ownership.
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5. Private School Branding
Middle-class Indians pay lakhs for ‘convent’ or ‘international’ schools believing English-speaking = better future. Reality? Same old rote memorization, new uniforms.
Real Alternative:
Seek schools with life-skill learning, or invest time at home developing thinking abilities.
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6. Tuitions for Everything
From KG phonics to 12th physics, tuition has become 'mandatory.' Instead of fixing systemic failure, parents outsource their worry to tuition centers.
Real Alternative:
Self-study discipline + curiosity-based learning. Children learn best when trusted.
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7. Competitive Exam Craziness
Coaching classes mint money on NEET, JEE, UPSC dreams. Children collapse under pressure; families lose their peace, money, and sometimes children themselves.
Real Alternative:
Support child's own calling. Academic success is one of 1000 ways to thrive, not the only one.
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8. Branded Gadgets and Phones
iPhones upgraded yearly, despite last year's working perfectly. ₹80,000 spent for slightly better selfies.
Real Alternative:
Use devices till truly dead. Tech should serve life, not dominate it.
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9. Foreign Tours and Honeymoons
Spending lakhs on 5-day Thailand trips, rushing selfies at Eiffel Tower, posting fake-calm yoga poses.
Real Alternative:
Local cultural trips, nature retreats, slow travel that enriches soul not just Instagram.
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10. Latest Home Appliances
Robotic vacuums, digital ovens, smart locks... bought during Big Billion Days. Half unused. Warranty expires without even opening manuals.
Real Alternative:
Buy only what makes daily life truly easier, not fancier.
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11. Club and Resort Memberships
5 lakh upfront, annual fees, minimum spending rules. You go once or twice in guilt. They profit from your optimism.
Real Alternative:
Local parks, simple nature visits, potluck gatherings with friends.
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12. Insurance Policies You Don't Understand
Blindly investing in ULIPs, endowment policies, pension funds. Policies marketed emotionally ("What if you die tomorrow?") but draining today.
Real Alternative:
Simple term insurance + emergency fund + financial literacy.
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13. Stock Market Gambling
Investing without basics. WhatsApp tips, YouTube 'experts.' Hoping for overnight riches, ending with lifetime regrets.
Real Alternative:
Learn real investing patiently — or invest only in self-growth.
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14. Designer Clothes and Accessories
Middle-class moms buy ₹5000 saris "on sale" and kids wear ₹10,000 sneakers to school. Logo worship trumps common sense.
Real Alternative:
Durable, simple, functional clothing. Elegance is simplicity.
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15. Second and Third Properties
Dreaming of rental incomes, most people end up with ghost flats needing repairs, taxes, and stress.
Real Alternative:
Invest in experiences, skills, and health. Not immovable headaches.
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16. Home Decor Madness
Changing sofas, curtains, wall colors every 2 years. Pinterest boards replace financial wisdom.
Real Alternative:
Minimal decor that inspires calm, not chaos.
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17. Destination Birthday Parties
5-year-old birthdays celebrated like corporate events. Return gifts alone cost ₹10,000.
Real Alternative:
Simple homemade parties, creative games, real smiles.
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18. Festival Shopping Frenzy
Diwali = buy new clothes, fridge, TV, gold coins, bikes. Shoppers trample over each other for "happiness."
Real Alternative:
Celebrate by cleaning, reconnecting, giving meaningful gifts (time, love, handmade crafts).
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19. Diet Fads and Weight Loss Programs
Keto diet, paleo diet, detox diet. Money burned, health barely learned.
Real Alternative:
Traditional balanced meals + daily movement.
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20. Perfumes, Watches, Makeup Hoarding
Dressing for society’s approval, not own joy. Inside remains starved while outside shines.
Real Alternative:
Natural, minimalist grooming. Confidence is the best fragrance.
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II. HEALTH TRAPS
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21. Gym Worship and Cosmetic Surgery
Gyms filled January to March. Treadmills used more for selfies than sweat. Cosmetic surgeries rising for fake youthfulness.
Real Alternative:
Daily natural movement. Aging gracefully with strength.
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22. Doctor Shopping and Pill Pop Culture
Ignoring root cause of disease, relying on a cocktail of pills, diagnostics, and second opinions.
Real Alternative:
Lifestyle change: sleep, nutrition, emotional healing.
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23. Mental Health Quick-Fixes
Buying meditation apps but not slowing down life. Posting "self-care" selfies, burning out inside.
Real Alternative:
Real life changes: slow days, honest relationships, minimalism.
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III. SOCIAL REPUTATION TRAPS
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24. Festival and Social Media Competition
Outdoing others in Diwali lights, Holi water tanks, Durga puja pandals.
Real Alternative:
Silent, mindful celebrations restoring spirit.
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25. Fake Friendships and Networking
Attending marriages of cousins you barely know. Maintaining WhatsApp groups just to gossip.
Real Alternative:
Cutting down noise. Keeping only soul-deep bonds.
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26. Gated Community Drama
Balcony wars, gossip marathons, who-owns-what competitions.
Real Alternative:
Simple, dignified coexistence.
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27. Lifestyle Branding
Your bag, shoe, mobile, pen — everything must flash a brand.
Real Alternative:
Quality and functionality > Brand flashing.
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IV. RELATIONSHIP TRAPS
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28. Marriages for Status
Choosing a life partner like choosing a car model. Package deals based on salary, caste, family prestige.
Real Alternative:
Values, compatibility, shared vision for life.
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29. Raising Children as Status Symbols
Music class, coding bootcamp, karate, French class — no joy, just a resume.
Real Alternative:
Support child's curiosity and resilience. Not your ego's project.
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30. Over-Gifting to Prove Love
Giving gadgets, gold, bikes to siblings, kids, spouses to hide emotional distance.
Real Alternative:
Gift presence, honesty, emotional security.
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V. SPIRITUAL TRAPS
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31. Pilgrimage as Tourism
Expensive package tours to temples, VIP darshans, helicopter rides for spiritual short-cuts.
Real Alternative:
Sit silently anywhere. God is free.
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32. Buying Karma
Crores spent on rituals but no honesty in business, relationships, or health.
Real Alternative:
Daily kindness, inner truthfulness.
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33. Guru Worship
Transferring personal responsibility to godmen and their institutions.
Real Alternative:
Self-inquiry, critical thinking, inner discipline.
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VI. ADDICTION TRAPS
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34. Smartphone Doomscrolling
Middle-class evenings eaten up by reels, memes, outrage, useless shopping.
Real Alternative:
Use devices intentionally. Limit apps, set clear offline hours.
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35. Subscription Traps
Netflix, Hotstar, Cultfit, Blinkit, Zomato Gold — silent wallet drainers.
Real Alternative:
Minimal subscriptions. Real life is free.
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36. Festival Sales Addiction
Buying '80% Off' junk every few months.
Real Alternative:
Buy when needed. Not when 'discounted.'
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SUPER FINAL SUMMARY
> Middle-class Indians are burning decades of health, money, relationships, and dreams...
...for objects and illusions that will never hug them, heal them, or feed them when they collapse.
Real life needs only: love, health, wisdom, freedom, time, and courage.
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HOW TO ESCAPE?
> A simple checklist:
1. Need over greed.
2. Function over fashion.
3. Skills over bills.
4. Presence over presents.
5. Community over competition.
6. Simplicity over complexity.
7. Freedom over fame.
8. Self-reliance over system-dependence.
9. Health over wealth.
10. Inner growth over outer glitter.
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“THE RACE OF NOTHING”
they woke up at 6,
to buy a 6-inch mobile screen,
they skipped breakfast,
to afford a dining table,
they missed sunsets,
to buy sunroofs,
they forgot laughter,
to afford therapists,
they hated their neighbors,
to outshine them with fairy lights,
they loved their gadgets,
but hated their guts,
they clicked 100 photos,
and lost 1 life.
they built bigger houses,
but shrank into tiny minds.
they ran faster, harder, crazier...
for things they never even needed.
until the end came,
quietly,
like an overdue EMI.
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