--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's become such a cultural norm that…" description: "\"It's become such a cultural norm that people brag about it: \"Oh yeah, you did that? I did this.\" Keeping up with the Joneses used to be about \"I have t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/brigid-schulte-15835_brag_it-s-become-such-a-cultural-norm-that-pe_1274257.png" --- # It's become such a cultural norm that people brag about… ![“It's become such a cultural norm that people brag about it: "Oh yeah, you did that? I did this." Keeping up with the Joneses used to be about "I have the bigger house and car," and now it's much more about how much stuff you can cram into your calendar.” quote by Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/brigid-schulte-15835_brag_it-s-become-such-a-cultural-norm-that-pe_1274257.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/brigid-schulte-15835_brag_it-s-become-such-a-cultural-norm-that-pe_1274257.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/brigid-schulte-15835_brag_it-s-become-such-a-cultural-norm-that-pe_1274257.png) > “It's become such a cultural norm that people brag about it: "Oh yeah, you did that? I did this." Keeping up with the Joneses used to be about "I have the bigger house and car," and now it's much more about how much stuff you can cram into your calendar.” [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern competition has shifted from material possessions to overfilled schedules, turning busyness into a status symbol. **In simple terms:** Busy lives are now bragging rights. Key Takeaway Prioritize meaningful activities over mere busyness. Themes social pressure time management status symbols Mood concerned motivational Type self-help observational When to use this quote - career planning - family time - personal hobbies - digital detox Key Concepts consumer culture psychology of scarcity work-life balance Questions to Reflect On - How does busyness affect wellbeing? - What defines a fulfilling schedule? A Different Perspective May ignore the value of rest and recovery. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bigger House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigger-house-2050991/) [Brag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brag/) [Car](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/car/) [House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house/) [Joneses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joneses-389495/) [Joneses Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joneses-used-4095375/) [Keeping Joneses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keeping-joneses-1417187/) [Keeping Up With The Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keeping-up-with-the-jones/) [Norm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/norm/) [Oh yeah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oh-yeah/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Stuff Cram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff-cram-4095376/) ## Related quotes > [“Many buy gadgets they don’t really need, with money they don’t have, for people they don’t actually care for, while infringing their corporeal and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/many-buy-gadgets-they-don-t-really-need-with-money-they-don-t-have/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [Keeping up with the Joneses was a full-time job with my mother and father. It was not until many years later when I lived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/keeping-up-with-the-joneses-was-a-full-time-job-with-my-mother-and/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [ \[Keeping Up with the Joneses\] is not one of those movies where people get shot and fall down and there's no reality of what… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mottola/keeping-up-with-the-joneses-is-not-one-of-those-movies-where-people/) [Greg Mottola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mottola/) > [“Giving up the obsession of sign-values and the subservient fascination of the social pyramid, allows us to set priorities in life, find out the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/giving-up-the-obsession-of-sign-values-and-the-subservient/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [We call it keeping up with the Joneses. They buy a boat and we buy a bigger one. They get a new TV and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-beattie/we-call-it-keeping-up-with-the-joneses-they-buy-a-boat-and-we-buy-a/) [Melody Beattie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-beattie/) > [I have never been able to understand the compelling phrase, 'keeping up with the Joneses.' It does not matter very much whether I keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eknath-easwaran/i-have-never-been-able-to-understand-the-compelling-phrase-keeping-up/) [Eknath Easwaran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eknath-easwaran/) > [Many art-worlders have an if-you-say-so approach to art: Everyone is so scared of missing out on the next hot artist that it's never clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-saltz/many-art-worlders-have-an-if-you-say-so-approach-to-art-everyone-is/) [Jerry Saltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-saltz/) > [You have a chance to move in far better society than the Joneses. Why worry about keeping up with the Joneses? Keep up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/you-have-a-chance-to-move-in-far-better-society-than-the-joneses-why/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [ Jon Hamm was the first I thought of for the other role in \[Keeping Up with the Joneses\], I recently worked with him on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mottola/jon-hamm-was-the-first-i-thought-of-for-the-other-role-in-keeping-up/) [Greg Mottola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mottola/) > [We were keeping up with the Joneses, but we were going against Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. We should have stayed in our reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-pratt/we-were-keeping-up-with-the-joneses-but-we-were-going-against-tom/) [Spencer Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-pratt/) > [The desire to move into a bigger house, to avoid living AIDS daily, and a dream to be accepted by a community and school,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-white/the-desire-to-move-into-a-bigger-house-to-avoid-living-aids-daily-and/) [Ryan White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-white/) > [“Never sacrifice your children for the bigger house, fancier car or the 'better life'. The price you pay is hefty and non-refundable in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sotero-m-lopez-ii/never-sacrifice-your-children-for-the-bigger-house-fancier-car-or-the/) [Sotero M Lopez II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sotero-m-lopez-ii/) > [More is not better. Better is better. You don't need a bigger house; you need a different floor plan. You don't need more stuff;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-steffen/more-is-not-better-better-is-better-you-don-t-need-a-bigger-house-you/) [Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/) > [If someone gets a bigger house, does that automatically make them happy? Maybe for a second. But then they worry about the bigger house…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/if-someone-gets-a-bigger-house-does-that-automatically-make-them/) [Robert Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/) > [Make more money and you'll be happier, get a bigger house and you'll feel satisfied, buy fancier clothes and people will admire you -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/make-more-money-and-you-ll-be-happier-get-a-bigger-house-and-you-ll/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Brigid Schulte > [A gift, like a good friend drawing a personal road map out of the crazy busy swirl of our overloaded lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/a-gift-like-a-good-friend-drawing-a-personal-road-map-out-of-the/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) > [“If we don’t feel like we have leisure, Robinson maintains, it’s entirely our own fault. “Time is a smokescreen. And it’s a convenient excuse,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/if-we-don-t-feel-like-we-have-leisure-robinson-maintains-it-s/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) > [“In the Middle Ages, the sin of sloth had two forms,” he said. “One was paralysis, the inability to do anything—what we would see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/in-the-middle-ages-the-sin-of-sloth-had-two-forms-he-said-one-was/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) > [Busyness has become such a social value that we will even create it, we will create that sense of breathlessness because we think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/busyness-has-become-such-a-social-value-that-we-will-even-create-it/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) > [“Researchers have found that the way people feel about the stress in their lives is a far more powerful predictor of their general health—whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/researchers-have-found-that-the-way-people-feel-about-the-stress-in/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) > [As long as you're pushing men to stay at work, you're pushing women to stay home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/as-long-as-you-re-pushing-men-to-stay-at-work-you-re-pushing-women-to/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) > [“Eight in ten Britons report being too busy to eat dessert, even though four in ten say dessert is better than sex.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/eight-in-ten-britons-report-being-too-busy-to-eat-dessert-even-though/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) > [The United States is the only advanced economy with no paid parental leave for either mothers or fathers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/the-united-states-is-the-only-advanced-economy-with-no-paid-parental/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) > [The more armed we are with information about the seduction of technology, the more we can build systems to better deal with it. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/the-more-armed-we-are-with-information-about-the-seduction-of/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) > [It's incredibly painful to think back to the time I had to come back to work. I was so, so needed at home. Like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/it-s-incredibly-painful-to-think-back-to-the-time-i-had-to-come-back/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) > [I'm a big believer in education. If people learn the truth, they'll see the benefit if they have gender neutral policies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/i-m-a-big-believer-in-education-if-people-learn-the-truth-they-ll-see/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) > [I was afraid that I would find out that I didn't work hard, that I wasn't a very good mother. I was feeling so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/i-was-afraid-that-i-would-find-out-that-i-didn-t-work-hard-that-i/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) > [“I felt like I’d been clonged on the head with a frying pan.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/i-felt-like-i-d-been-clonged-on-the-head-with-a-frying-pan/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) > [As work weeks get longer and leisure time shrinks, people are becoming sicker, more distracted, absent, unproductive, and less innovative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/as-work-weeks-get-longer-and-leisure-time-shrinks-people-are-becoming/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) > [“But once I’m done, I can’t tell you what it was I did or why it seemed so important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/but-once-i-m-done-i-can-t-tell-you-what-it-was-i-did-or-why-it-seemed/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) [Explore all 41 Brigid Schulte quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) ## More Brag quotes > [“Those who had nothing substantial to brag about bragged the loudest. Stay silent and ignore the chattering crowd - this was proof you had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-f-kuang/those-who-had-nothing-substantial-to-brag-about-bragged-the-loudest/) [R.F. Kuang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-f-kuang/) > [Don't eat with someone that's going to brag about feeding you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-eat-with-someone-that-s-going-to-brag-about-feeding-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For God hates utterly the bray of bragging tongues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/for-god-hates-utterly-the-bray-of-bragging-tongues/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [People love to hear the brag of the local boy, because they want him to be great, but the foreigner must deny that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/people-love-to-hear-the-brag-of-the-local-boy-because-they-want-him/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Obama's gonna play Santa Claus with the minimum wage. He's got no successes to brag about. He cannot talk about a robust job market.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/obama-s-gonna-play-santa-claus-with-the-minimum-wage-he-s-got-no/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I'm not one of those actors who romanticizes his trials working out and brags that he can bench press a panda now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-reynolds/i-m-not-one-of-those-actors-who-romanticizes-his-trials-working-out/) [Ryan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-reynolds/) > [We have the most expensive compliance system in the world. The IRS brags that they spend 35 cents for every $100 they collect. They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-reid/we-have-the-most-expensive-compliance-system-in-the-world-the-irs/) [T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) > [I don't mean to brag, but I'm kind of a big deal, if you know what I mean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariana/i-don-t-mean-to-brag-but-i-m-kind-of-a-big-deal-if-you-know-what-i/) [Ariana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariana/) > [Depending on who it is, but I can't stand men who brag about themselves, and all they do all day is talk about themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-krupa/depending-on-who-it-is-but-i-can-t-stand-men-who-brag-about/) [Joanna Krupa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-krupa/) > [Humble yourself and people will respect you more for that then anything you brag about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/humble-yourself-and-people-will-respect-you-more-for-that-then/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't wish to brag, but I'm very intelligent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-don-t-wish-to-brag-but-i-m-very-intelligent/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [Sometimes, I get so annoyed when other people brag. And sometimes, I know that I'm better than that or I've got something better in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erika-christensen/sometimes-i-get-so-annoyed-when-other-people-brag-and-sometimes-i/) [Erika Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erika-christensen/) > [“All's well that ends well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-s-well-that-ends-well/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't catch her by copying her, I can't draw her with a borrowed stencil. She is all the things a lover should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-can-t-catch-her-by-copying-her-i-can-t-draw-her-with-a-borrowed/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“Bear in mind then, that Brag is a good dog, but Holdfast is a better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/bear-in-mind-then-that-brag-is-a-good-dog-but-holdfast-is-a-better/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) [Browse all 241 Brag quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brag/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's become such a cultural norm that people brag about it: \"Oh yeah, you did that? 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