This doesn't fit exactly within the idea of character-building, but it is also a useful exercise in mature human understanding to try to get inside a way of thinking that is at first alien to you, to widen your appreciation of the range of meanings that people seek to live by. I endeavour, consequently, to get inside the mind of this person:
Frances... sits at her desk all week, flipping through catalogs in search of lamp shades, pillows, and candelabra to borrow for photo shoots. On Saturdays, she shops. "I start at 10 o'clock," she says, "and I do what I call 'The Four B's' - Barney's, Bendel's, Bergdorf's, and Bloomies."Nope. Can't do it, sorry. But if you go here, you'll find some tips on 'How To Dematerialize'.For the past decade or so, Frances has spent thousands of dollars a week on clothes, shoes, home accessories, jewelry, and furniture. Pleasure with possessions remains integral to her sense of self: "I love to be surrounded by beautiful and exotic things," she says.
Frances is an unabashed materialist... [etc.]