TL;DR: Young people in some regions struggle with low living standards, amplifying the need for luxury experiences. Being surrounded by prosperous individuals has the same effect. Luxury travel creates a sense of detachment from the ordinary world. People who have worked hard to become rich feel entitled to luxurious experiences.
Economic stagnation sharpens the affinity for luxury experiences
The formative years of millennials (born 1981-1996) in North America and Europe passed against a backdrop of stagnant or weak wage growth and cratering homeownership rates. Absolute upward mobility dropped at a steady rate. This is the extent to which millennials earn more than their parents’ generation (Boomers) was earning at the same age. Since then, conditions have worsened for young adults in most of Western Europe. Millennials endured annual living standard growth of below 1%, and Gen Z – sub-zero. People born in the mid-1990s in the UK have seen their living standards deteriorate further. A quality of life that is perceived as inadequate can sharpen the need for luxurious experiences, encouraging some to welcome affairs with people who can provide those.
Resentment toward the well-off works in the same direction
In the US, the trend was the same up to a certain point. Those born in the 1950s were making 50-60% more than their parents were at their age. In contrast, by the time someone born in the 1980s turned 30, their average income was just several percent higher.
Since those born in the late 1990s in the US entered adulthood, the standard of living has grown by 2.5% a year, blessing Gen Z with much more upward mobility than millennials and more rapidly improving standards of living compared to Boomers at their age. Housing is another area in which Gen Z Americans are outpacing millennials. These improved standards might lead a younger person who isn’t particularly well off to feel envious or left out. The promise of luxury trips and exclusivity provides ample motivation for dating a married man who “happens to be” wealthy.
In sum, one can say the decades-long deceleration in economic progress across generations has gone into reverse in the US. Compared to Americans born in 1965, those born in 1997 are enjoying much higher upward mobility relative to their parents.
Luxury travel creates a sense of detachment
Luxury travel and exclusivity can make affairs feel more justifiable for some people by creating a sense of detachment from the usual moral constraints. High-end experiences like private jets, five-star resorts, and secluded destinations make secrecy feel easier to maintain and normalize indulgence. The exclusivity of luxury settings can make one feel exceptional and ultimately rationalize one’s actions as belonging to an elite world that faces no consequences. The escapism of lavish travel distances people from their usual responsibilities, fostering a “what happens here, stays here” mentality. The combination of anonymity, opulence, and emotional detachment can make infidelity feel less like a betrayal and more like a permissible indulgence.
People who have worked hard feel entitled to luxurious experiences
One final reason luxury travel and exclusivity can make affairs feel more justifiable is the sense of entitlement that often comes with wealth and success. People who have worked hard to attain a high-status lifestyle may feel they “deserve” special experiences, including romantic indulgences outside marriage. The exclusivity of luxury settings can reinforce this belief, as high-end environments cater to personal gratification and a sense of being above the rules.
Recap
- Economic stagnation sharpens the affinity for luxury
- Resentment toward those enjoying indulgent experiences works in the same direction
- Luxury travel creates a sense of detachment
- People who have worked hard to attain affluence feel entitled to exclusivity