This is the most commonly committed Sin of Swag. With the plethora of “reality”-tv shows that plague MTV, BET, and Bravo, inundating our eyes with the extravagant life and times of the rich and famous, it’s no wonder that more and more people are turning green with envy and laying their eyes on the gaudy bauble. But what’s important to know is that humans live on what is called the “hedonic treadmill”. This means that humans innately constantly seek pleasure from new things. Why settle for the C-class Mercedes-Benz when your best friend just bought himself a new Lamborghini? Why buy the summer home in the Hamptons when your next door neighbors are moving into their villa in Saint-Tropez? Envy is pointless because we will never have enough. Also, you never know through what means someone acquired something. You may be envying that seemingly successful millionaire tycoon when in reality all of his wealth was amassed through cutthroat tactics and selfish means. Better to be a first-rate version of yourself than a second-rate version of someone else.
Sloth
Coming in second is sloth. Although not as powerful a force as envy, sloth is just as Deadly to one’s swag. Sloth may come in the form of not wanting to progress, lack of self-improvement, and simply living at the lowest level of existence. Sloth can also come in the form of procrastination; we have all of the tools we need to accomplish the task, we simply refuse the utilize them. Sloth is dangerous because it causes you to feel powerless and reinforces selfishness. But sloth can be overcome by perseverance and being proactive. Stop letting that business proposal collect dust, stop letting that promotion continue to pass you by, stop putting off going to the gym. When you give 100% of your time and talents to a task you will reap 100% of the benefits. Likewise with 50%, you will only find yourself with 50% of what you wanted.
Greed
Have you ever heard the question, “What do you give someone who has everything?” Greed comes in at number three on the list of the Seven Deadly Sins of Swag. First off, there’s nothing wrong with ambition and wanting to carve out the life you dream of. But ambition turns to greed when your efforts become more about the material payoff than self-improvement and doing a service to those around you. The famous Andrew Carnegie was the father of the “Gospel of Wealth”. Carnegie believed that the members of the upper class were more obliged to support their communities than those who had less. This gospel applies not only to money but in other situations as well. Instead of stepping on everyone else to get that job, show your competence by being a team player. Instead of thinking about more of what you want, take time to reflect of the things you are thankful for. And instead of thinking about more money and success, think about why you love doing what you do.
Gluttony
A new D&G Bag, a new pair of Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses, diamond-encrusted watches, 500 pairs of shoes, summer homes in Paris, the Hamptons, Rome, and Spain. Gluttony, the sin of excess material goods comes in at #4. With the widespread venues for information today, fashion and lifestyle has taken a front seat in today’s world. Models, millionaires, and mansions have found their way into every aspect of our lives sparking a voracious hunger for material items. Luxury items are not inherently bad; if you have the means to purchase them then by all means do so. But when talk show hosts begin creating segments about women who sacrifice paying their tuition and bills for a new handbag, this indicates a problem. Even men now are beginning to become more status conscious and are getting a case of the gimmies for some of the same items as women. Remember, celebrities are able to constantly look fabulous and glamorous because they can afford to do so. Real style isn’t what you wear; it has nothing to do with how much you spent on your bag or if it’s this brand or that one. It’s how you wear it. Someone can be rocking an ensemble from a consignment store and upstage someone else with boutique apparel. What you have is not what you are. God knows there are some emotionally bankrupt people walking around with black cards.
Pride
Most people would think that pride would come in first on the Sins of Swag list. But what makes pride different from the other sins on the list is that pride is less apparent than the others. Pride can be seen as a need to constantly dominate others and assert one’s authority as the best in something. But pride also takes the more common form of excessive vanity and the inability to connect with others except superficially. People often say Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I agreed with Oscar Wilde when he said, “If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so is ugliness”. Humans are innately aware of what is beautiful. We know that babies, roses, sunsets, stars, and romance are beautiful. We know that blue eyes, long legs, abs, and smooth skin are also beautiful. But beauty is only one aspect of existence. To excessively focus on one’s looks can be beneficial, but when you fail to look past those of another you have fallen into pride. After all, exterior beauty has the potential hide severe ugliness inside. Looks are powerful, but when you can look in the mirror and accept what you see and do the same for others, you put yourself on a slippery slope into a vicious circle of pitiful self-loathing.
Wrath
We all have run into it. Someone says something that pushes our buttons and before we know it, we’ve launched into a ballistic rage. Although I am usually a phlegmatic person, I know too many people with the shortest fuse. Once again “reality” television brings us the best of wrath with programs like The Bad Girls Club, Tool Academy, Charm School, and Cheaters. The popularity of these shows is due to the extreme displays of violence and aggression within. The world watches vicariously as women and men brawl, encouraging others to react similarly. In Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, he states, “The opportunity for defeating the enemy is given by the enemy himself”. This means that in losing your cool, you’ve rendered yourself vulnerable to an attack from your enemy. Staying calm in a conflict gives you the upper hand by allowing you to defuse the situation intelligently and strategically. So before your temperature rises from the drink spilled on you, don’t give your opponent a chance to see you sweat.
Lust
Lust is without question everyone’s favorite deadly sin. Sex has become so mainstream that it has infiltrated the dialogue of children’s television shows. Everyone wants to be on someone else’s “sexy list”. It’s no debate that sexuality carries an undeniable power and attraction. But many also forget that we have sexual selves. If you would arbitrarily stab yourself with a knife why allow or place other dangerous objects in yourself or someone else? Our sexuality holds our essence; it has the power of life and death. Why allow just anyone to possess your power? True sexiness come from being able to use it like a laser. Instead of broadcasting it widely in a beam, hold onto it for someone who is worthy of receiving it. Every gold wrapper that glitters isn’t always worth its weight. Beware, sometimes Magnum condoms can bring magnum problems later on.
