The Sum of One's Purchases

One of the things that bemuses me about 21st century life in American is the extent to which people who most loudly lay claim to non-conformity, creativity, open-mindedness, and a rejection of crass materialism define their identity by the junk they buy, and who they buy it from. I laughed loudly and heartily* at the following quote from this great article:

…people who drive hybrid cars are 78% more likely than the general population to be highly creative….That is, they are inventive and imaginative and also tend to be emotionally sensitive and intellectually curious… They tend to be more open-minded, more spontaneous, and more assured of their ability to lead others, the Mindset Media found.

Just how much of people's junk is a not-so-subtle message to others: "I am a great and good person."?

* Laughing at odd things like this indicates either curmudgeonliness or incipient insanity. You choose.