It's bizarrely easy to be deceived and live in a detached fantasy realm even to the detriment of your self. I had a couple of episodes in my own life where I was chasing after some fantasy at fairly large cost in time and money. I think in both cases of woman chasing, I was really pursuing "status" rather than actual love. It was extremely vain. It's a pretty common experience and many people suffer worse than I did. A dream that seemed very important is purchased at great, even ruinous cost, and then turns to ash.
Human history is so distorted for the same reason. Our story is lost in a series of self-serving tales where individuals or families have warped civilization's memory through vainglory.
One of the most valuable skills to learn, and then to teach, is to develop an awareness of the shifts in modes of consciousness. The status seeking mode of consciousness is a pervasive poison. The feelings of envy and greed are facile and can't stand up to even a moment of reflection. The desire for a stupid possession--like a fancy sports car--won't withstand a meditation on what it will be like to make payment after payment while the car gets dusty, dirty, and requires maintenance.
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