On Social Media, Flexing, and the Quiet Power of Respect.

by Richard Valdez - www.RichardValdezRE.com

’ll be honest with you… I like social media.

Every now and then, I find myself scrolling through YouTube, Instagram, Facebook. Not just to kill time, but to witness something remarkable—people building, designing, creating, and sharing pieces of themselves with the world. It’s a rare thing, that kind of authenticity. And when you see it, you know you’re holding something precious.

But there’s another side to it.

The kind of content you watch when you don’t want to admit you’re watching—digital gossip, the modern-day “Page Six.” News of scandal, corruption, politics… and a whole new cast of characters we call nepo babies.

It was there I first heard the word “flexing.” Back in my day, we didn’t call it that. But we knew what it meant. Showing off. Flaunting what you had. A shiny car, an expensive watch, a life lived out loud.

When I heard it, I couldn’t help but feel a little sadness. Because I saw young people, born into privilege, putting their fortunes on parade for a world already weary, already struggling. And I wondered… did anyone ever tell them? That when you flex, you don’t inspire. You provoke. Jealousy. Resentment. Even anger.

Now, don’t get me wrong. We all show pride sometimes. In the 1970s, when I was in high school, a nice pair of shoes, a polished report card, maybe even a car that still had its shine—those were things we showed off. But it wasn’t called flexing. It was called celebrating.

And there’s nothing wrong with celebration. You should celebrate your wins. You should reward yourself for what you’ve overcome. But my grandmothers had a way of reminding me where the line was. In Tagalog and Ilocano, they’d say, “Don’t be gauche.” In other words, don’t mistake flaunting for dignity.

Because wealth doesn’t buy you class. Money doesn’t earn you respect.

Respect… that comes from how you carry yourself. How you treat people. Whether you see them as equals, or as less.

I think often about this new generation, where wealth-flexing feels like a rite of passage. And I ask myself—if I were young today, would I be tempted to do it? The truth is, yes. I probably would. But I was fortunate. I had elders who gave me more than rules—they gave me perspective.

And that perspective taught me something lasting: true wealth doesn’t live in your bank account. It lives in your character.

At the end of the day, the richest soul in the room isn’t the one who shows off. It’s the one who doesn’t have to.

Albert Einstein once said, “Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.”

And in a world where flexing has become the new success, maybe it’s time we remember the quiet power of being valuable instead.