Potlucks vs potlaches
Most of us are familiar with a potluck, a gift-giving feast whereby everyone generously contributes whatever they can, for the benefit of all.
A potlatch, in contrast, is an opulent banquet in which people waste valuable items in order to demonstrate their status, for their own benefit.
The point isn’t that engaging in a metaphorical potlatch (as opposed to a figurative potluck) is inherently bad.
(They both make you feel good, after all.)
The question is, if that’s the case, why would you want to?