<p>It is a natural instinct – the shiny object catches our attention. This simple fact has been used for decades in the capitalist world – food, cosmetics, cars, clothes, everything is packaged as a sparkling dream you'd like to buy for yourself. We know it's a sham but we can't help falling for it. We know all that glitters is not gold but we like to find it out ourselves.</p> <p class="articleimg"><img id="ed-img" class="art-lazy imwidth-full" title="Representational Photo" src="http://media.new.mensxp.com/media/content/2017/Jul/img-1-thinkstock-photos-1501435504.jpg" alt="Representational Photo" data-original="http://media.new.mensxp.com/media/content/2017/Jul/img-1-thinkstock-photos-1501435504.jpg" />Thinkstock Photos</p> <p>It's the same with people. Appearances are more effective in creating reputations than integrity. The shinier your wares, the quicker they'll sell. It doesn't matter if the shine has been achieved by sacrificing quality. We often forget that sometimes the best things in life are not the ones that come packaged in expensive shiny wrapping papers; they are the ones that are found covered in mud and found in the most ordinary of places.</p> <p class="articleimg"><img id="ed-img" class="art-lazy imwidth-full" title="Apples" src="http://media.new.mensxp.com/media/content/2017/Jul/img-2-facebook-pranav-rawat-1501435566.jpg" alt="Apples" data-original="http://media.new.mensxp.com/media/content/2017/Jul/img-2-facebook-pranav-rawat-1501435566.jpg" />Facebook/PranavRawat</p> <p>Nothing could demonstrate this better than this Facebook post about apples. Mountaineering enthusiast Pranav Rawat explains through a simple conversation how our prejudices deceive us into choosing the shinier object even if it may not be the more healthy choice.</p> <p class="articleimg"><img id="ed-img" class="art-lazy imwidth-full" title="FB Post" src="http://media.new.mensxp.com/media/content/2017/Jul/img-3-facebook-pranav-rawat-1501435706.jpg" alt="FB Post" data-original="http://media.new.mensxp.com/media/content/2017/Jul/img-3-facebook-pranav-rawat-1501435706.jpg" />Facebook/PranavRawat</p> <p class="articleimg"><img id="ed-img" class="art-lazy imwidth-full" title="FB Post" src="http://media.new.mensxp.com/media/content/2017/Jul/img-4-facebook-pranav-rawat-1501435776.jpg" alt="FB Post" data-original="http://media.new.mensxp.com/media/content/2017/Jul/img-4-facebook-pranav-rawat-1501435776.jpg" />Facebook/PranavRawat</p> <p>Here's the original post: <br /><br /><iframe style="border:none;overflow:hidden" frameborder="0" height="714" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpranav.rawat%2Fposts%2F10209878854063286&width=500" width="500"></iframe><br /><br />The capitalist world has made us believe in appearances more than ever. What looks good is the best – be it a fruit, a pair of shoes, a house, or a person. Millions are spent in making things look good and many more millions are spent in buying the illusion. But we forget that everything has an expiry date and illusions are sooner or later shattered. At the end of the day, it is the cost of the illusion that we have to pay; it could be in the form of our health, peace, love, happiness or life. What it will be is up to us.</p> <p> </p>