In the Christian background I have grown up in, Veblen's quote seems objectionably "worldly" and narrow-minded, and that's because it really is. Success measured by what "treasures we store on earth" is probably the standard depiction of success in society, at least in our materialistic society. Therefore, his comment really affirms the majority view on the topic of success. Everything that is done, in the eyes of countless individuals, is for the sole purpose of getting more and more as we go along.
This probably won't always take the form of an arrogant individual who buys the latest sports cars, technologies, and lives his life to make some sort of impression on others that he is better than others. This definition influences more normal people as well. A normal person may just buy a car every few years or a new laptop more frequently than they need to. They can't quite afford to do it as frequently as the arrogant guy mentioned before, but the normal girl is driven by the same ideal but operates at a more limited income. Chances are, she wants to do the same thing as the arrogant guy mentioned above but can't, so she does what she can. She doesn't really need the newest iPod, but she gets it because she wants to be the first in her group of friends to have it.
Whatever false sense of superiority is gained by such philosophies and practices, success, I pray, is nothing like Veblen describes it to be. It only reinforces a stereotypical definition that is just waiting to be killed, and most people would be glad to see it go even though the majority may measure success by accumulated treasures. Perhaps our definition of success could be informed by more noble aspirations, such as achieving true happiness and peace in life. That in itself will be a reward far greater reward than the supposed imposter perception of success will ever be.
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