"Before you try to keep up with the Joneses, be sure they're not trying to keep up with you"

In this quote, Erma Bombeck is warning against the typical propensity to compare ourselves to others and make every effort to match their way of lives and belongings. She recommends that before we get captured up in this cycle of trying to keep up with our neighbors or peers, we need to take a step back and consider the possibility that they might really be trying to stay up to date with us. This works as a suggestion that appearances can be tricking and we need to not base our own joy and success on what others have or do. Rather, we should concentrate on our own unique journey and not stress over staying up to date with anyone else.