What kinds of things give status to people in your country?
In our country, education, wealth, large houses, cars, fame, and career are some of the things that confer status. Other aspects include luxury gadgets, political power, expensive clothing, and publicity. However, the most prominent aspects are education, wealth, and possessions. For instance, people with higher education and knowledge naturally attain a status that others may not have. Similarly, wealth, cars, houses, branded clothing, and other material possessions often contribute to a person’s status. Fame and popularity also grant a unique type of status, unattainable by the general public. Additionally, jobs in important government sectors and political power, despite sometimes being controversial, are also symbols of status in my country.
Have things changed since your parents’ time?
Regarding societal status, there hasn’t been much change between my father’s generation and mine. The status symbols I mentioned earlier were prevalent in my parents’ time as well. While technological gadgets and new brands have emerged as modern status symbols, these can still be categorized under materialistic achievements, which were also valued in my parents' era.
Do you think advertising influences what people buy?
Yes, I believe advertising has a significant impact on people’s purchasing decisions. It is natural for people to prefer known brands over unfamiliar ones. People spend a considerable amount of time in front of their televisions or computers, and they are influenced by advertisements, both consciously and subconsciously. Some advertisements even entice us to purchase products we don’t actually need.
What are the important qualities to achieve our ambitions?
In my opinion, determination and hard work are the most crucial qualities for fulfilling our ambitions and goals. While luck can play a role, I believe that fortune favors those who are hardworking and strong-minded. Besides these, proper planning, timely execution, expertise, and experience are also essential qualities for achieving our life goals.
Are all ambitions good in life?
I think any positive ambition that brings happiness, success, prosperity, and well-being to others is good. However, ambitions driven by selfishness, greed, and materialistic desires are negative. In general, ambitions help us work harder and give meaning to life, so having positive ambitions is important.
What type of ambition does the young generation in your country have?
The young generation in our country typically aims for a prosperous career and economic freedom. Their ambitions also include becoming famous, achieving success and happiness in later life, and having a beautiful and loving life partner. Additionally, they aspire to explore the world and envision a future where violence and crime are eradicated.
Would you focus more on achieving your ambition or doing things you love to do?
For me, my ambitions align with what I love to do. I aim to live a life surrounded by my family, relatives, friends, and people I care about. My ambition is to set up my own business or pursue a job that interests me, which is both my dream and my passion.
Vocabulary:
Confers: Grants or bestows (a quality or characteristic).
Prominent: Important or well-known.
Materialistic: Excessively concerned with material possessions.
Prevalent: Widespread in a particular area or at a particular time.
Entice: Attract or tempt by offering pleasure or advantage.
Determination: Firmness of purpose; resoluteness.
Timely execution: Performing tasks in an appropriate or planned timeframe.
Expertise: Expert skill or knowledge in a particular field.
Prosperity: The state of being successful and having a lot of money.
Greed: Intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth or power.
Envision: Imagine as a future possibility; visualize.
Eradicated: Completely destroyed; put an end to.
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