Outside-In vs. Inside-Out

1st Corinthians 1 gives the contrast between the world's "outside-in" approach and the "inside-out" philosophy embraced by Scripture:27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- 31 that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord." There is a prevalent mindset in our world that appearance, material riches, the veneer of the "good life" is what's important - and if we're not careful, we can be ensnared by the desire to make a good impression with worldly tools.   It's driven by the externals - "outside" appearances govern who we are.   But the Bible teaches the opposite - who we are is determined by the status of our relationship with Jesus - if we know Him, we have a regenerated heart and our identity is found in Him, and that is reflected in the way we relate to God and to others, as our character is shaped by the presence of the indwelling Christ.

Jeremiah 9 helps us to fine-tune our perspective on what's important in life:
23 Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the Lord.   The example of Scripture is that when we boast, when we proclaim some sort of accomplishment, even when it's ours, that we give the glory or credit to God.   We are called to be self-less people, and recognize that anything that is good that happens in our lives can be attributed to the hand of God.
There's a new and dangerous sort of boasting that is taking place out there - and I don't endorse or recommend you going to this website, it's just an example of the self-centeredness that we experience in our culture.   It's called the "Rich Kids of Instagram".   And young people are basically encouraged to share their Instagram-enhanced photos on this website, depicting themselves, and friends, enjoying their so-called "riches" - it depicts boasting about status or material possessions - you see fancy cars, flowing alcohol, and even receipts of a lavish vacation or other indulgences.   It feeds on the fleshly desire to be regarded highly because of the externals.   
And, that's the way of the world - outward appearance equals universal acceptance.   But, the ways of God say that inward condition is the important thing. Rebecca Greenfield writes on the Atlantic Wire website:

These postings are emblematic of the entire medium we all use. To be certain, these wealthy kid pix are particularly funny (and also sad) because they showcase a gross variant of entitlement. Preteens posing with helicopters they did nothing to earn and posting the pictures online for others to ogle provides an easy in for commentary on the state of the American dream. (Dead.) While we don't disagree with that reading, it's par for the course on Instagram, a shallow medium all about promoting superficiality that photo takers did little to nothing to earn.

I did a little learning on Instagram today - millions use it, and it provides an opportunity to post enhanced photos, which could be used to distort reality.    Outside-in thinking relishes superficiality, selfishness, and boasting what others can see.   But, the Bible teaches inside-out thinking - emphasizing our identity in Christ, who we really are, enjoying love and displaying His character.   But, if our hearts have a void because Jesus is not present or is not preeminent, then we place the attention in the wrong place - worldly possessions or power do not satisfy, but it's the reality of Christ in us, the hope of glory, that brings us to a level of reality and fulfillment that the world cannot provide.   We can be challenged to boast in the Lord.