Actually there is something comforting in displays of basic human nature. To flaunt wealth, to revel in success is so human and shows how shallow the ideals of communism were. It is a tragedy that so many Chinese died in decades past to support a lie.
That doesn't sound comforting to me; it sounds sad. Trying to put on overt displays of luxury goods is what got a lot of people into debt here in the U.S.A.
One of my sisters used to tell me "You must be rich, if I had your money I'd buy a Mercedes, and some jewelry and hang my arm out the window and flaunt it.". Never mind that I could afford it, but I'm satisfied driving an old pickup truck. Well, we retired early, debt-free, but my sister and her husband lost their home (squandered the equity from the home and lost it) and they're flat broke with creditors chasing them. They threw most of their money away on expensive goods they could not afford.
It's okay to spend some disposable wealth on luxury goods, but going overboard is just plain crazy.