The economic environment is demonstrating how fragile the foundations of modern life truly are. Self-absorption and narcissism will give way to reality sooner rather than later.
When I read it, I literally tore it from the magazine and carried it with me through my youthful misadventures in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The original article is now framed and on my office desk as a constant reminder about the way things should be.
It also reminds me of my university days where we learned of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. That's a theory of human psychology that suggest basic needs need to be satisfied before higher level wants kick in and can be achieved.
It's a pretty simple premise.
Only after your basic air, food, water, shelter needs are met can you think about your health, security and property. Then comes the desire for friendship, intimacy and family. After that it's all about you see yourself and how you want others to see you. Finally, it becomes about being a better person.
Theoretically, we are all advancing up Maslow's hierarchy throughout life to attain some sort of final fulfilment. Well that's the theory anyway. It seems that the pyramid has been turned upside down with ego taking priority over more basic needs.
Right now, I suspect a lot of people are busily looking down (up) the pyramid and seeing how unstable the structure they have created for themselves truly is.
Regrettably, many people today have taken too much for granted whilst pursuing vanity projects or indulging in narcissism.
Anyone who follows the self-absorption of Instagram, Facebook and the like knows it's all level four ego kicking in for a bunch of people who actually have very little. The virtual world is filled with fakes.
Rarely do they have strong personal relationships, preferring instead the virtual embrace of the anonymous 'like'. Similarly, few have even the most basic resources at their disposal, choosing instead to live a 'picture perfect' life that is as doctored as their filtered images.
But things are changing. The growing economic crisis is forcing people to examine what is truly important and perhaps realise how hollow their lives have truly become.
Having a million insta-mates is no substitute to having a real family you can rely on when things get tough. A life built on debt doesn't provide the security of a home should your employment dry up. And so it goes on.
When the going gets tough there are few things that many today can cling to as a safe-haven. They have rejected the permanent for the ephemeral on the assumption that the basics will always be there for them.
And really, who can blame them?
Successive governments have for decades picked up the pieces behind every personal train wreck: whether it be the uninsured, the middle class family, the avocado smash fancying first home buyer or those suffering from their own lifestyle choices.
Personal decisions have not had the corresponding personal consequences.
In the parlance of my favourite article: things have got very soggy instead of being their crunchy best.
Government will try to keep that fantasy world going for as long as possible. After all, it is their ticket to re-election but the time will come when reality bites. Only then will we truly see how self-indulgent, how entitled and how fragile our societal foundations have become.
That realisation will coincide with the transition of economic power from the West to the East. Future generations will look back on the decades of indulgence and ask 'how did they let it all happen?'
Cory Bernardi is the author of seven books and has been a member of the Australian rowing team, a publican, an investment portfolio manager and spent nearly 14 years as an Australian Senator.
