Why does owning possessions make us satisfied?
In trying to pose the question I was careful of the wording. Rather than using happy I chose satisfied. The main reason I pose this question is to elicit the views on the material world and ownership and possession. Of course our possessions can be many and varied but this is physical possessions we own.
Comments (23)
1. The football team that Ive lived since I was a kid.
2. I felt good wearing it.
3. Limited Edition. It would not be for sale in future seasons.
These are just my reasons.
For other possessions such as housing cars etc its got to do with its function and the ability it gives you to live a healthy and comfortable life.
Sentimentality was a big thing for me back then and to some extent it still is when it comes to the shirts I buy
I think we need to differentiate between needs and wants. Owning things you need in order to survive is necessary; as such, this type of ownership prevents stresses which might make you unhappy. Acquiring something that you desire is, of course, initially a good feeling. But does continued ownership after acquisition supply the same level of gratification? We bought a really nice 6 person inflatable boat after we moved near the beach and really enjoyed using it a few times that year. Next year we used it once. This year we didn't use it at all. So rather than being satisfied, I am feeling kind of dissatisfied with that possession. Really I am dissatisfied with myself for not using it, or for not knowing better.
Frequently, it isn't the owning but the acquiring that creates satisfaction. That can become a vicious circle.
Interesting. We all have had a similar experience as yours. I think this happens because of the transition of time. We are happy and satisfied when we acquired the new possession, but when we are used to see and enjoy it, the object itself becomes boring.
Paradoxically, it is worse if we decide to sell it or pass it on to another. We need to maintain it in our possession because otherwise we would suffer of nostalgia for not having the object anymore, despite if we don't even use it.
Do you want his counsel or monetary support?
If counsel, here is a clue:
"Should prob articulate philosophy underlying my actions. It's pretty simple & mostly influenced by Douglas Adams & Isaac Asimov." E. Musk.
And his number 1 life tip:
"I think that's the single best piece of advice: Constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself."
Most aren't satisfied with what they do have. At least not for long- even if all their needs are met. That they aren't points to a lack of emotional maturity on their part. In fact, many could be satisfied with owning much less than they do. In some cases much, much less.
Hey philosophers, you may not realise it yet, but you're a bit crap. Your' wife's probably going to leave you when she finds out, and your friends may abandon you and call you a loser. But the good news is that we at Mammon Inc, have come up with the perfect solution tailor made for people just like you. "Stuff" tm. For the man who is nothing, "Stuff" tm. is easy to identify with, and guaranteed to make a someone out of any nobody. "Stuff" tm. can act as a penis extension, raise your status and impress others, and in a dangerously volatile world it brings stability and security. There is almost nothing you can't do with stuff, and you need more because you might get left behind, when your neighbour buys new "Stuff" tm.
Yes this.
However in and by itself there's an experience curve to it as I step into that pitfall less and less, most of the time stopping myself before begun as I've become very much aware of the phenomenon.
That is my favorite term of 2022.
I believe that is why genghis khan was so prolific.
It does (for some, nay, most). It is the way it is!
I guess a very ubiquitous example these days is mobile phones. The utility of which is arguably but not quite able to totally quantified explicitly. Not that may be important anyway.
The idea however that owning stuff leads to satisfaction is probably undeniable. I just find it curious why as much as I do enjoy the possessions I have it surprisingly difficult to explain simply why.
I am reminded of a nice reminder from the series TV series Kung Fu. When Caine passes the test set by Master Kan to snatch the pebble from his hand when Caine retains it after having focused on obtaining it for so long Master Kan remarks that there is another pebble that Man has saught after over the ages .. the Earth .
It may be an extreme way to look at it but valid non the less.
It makes perfect sense to me. As physical beings our survival, comfort and enjoyment of life is enabled or augmented by physical objects like warm clothing, a home, transportation, land, furniture, tools, art, whatever. Owning those objects provides a predictability to our comfort and control over our environment. Satisfaction.
There are other questions you might tackle involving qualities or abstractions related to owning objects, for instance, status/luxury or how much is enough.
@Tom. Yes I think for me you hit the nail on the head there. In particular how much is enough. The comfort factor re essentially Maslows hierarchy of needs is potentially becoming a big issue for a sizeable portion of people (although I hope it wont be) so basic food if energy bills escalate or shelter (home repossession) if I cant afford higher interest payments. So assuming these needs met. And yes these same people will potentially still cling to their phones. But even if we have one or two nice things we possess why might we still feel dissatisfied, assuming we do?
Indeed and that's different question. So is the question, why are some people still dissatisfied when wealthy?
Owning stuff is central to the human experience in most cultures. Given that society often judges people by what they own, it is sometimes hard to track if it is the object itself or some external validation which is the true prize.
Not hard to see how this might be distorted by psychological issues (hoarding) or by wealth (luxury goods) or by class and status. I knew a man who owned many high end prestige cars - probably about 10 at a time. It was pretty obvious from knowing him that this was not about owning cars. It was grief and self-esteem. But I think explanations for how people relate to material possessions are as myriad as those possessions themselves.
[quote=psypost.org]An analysis comparing reported income to reported well-being revealed a strong, positive relationship between the measures. People who earned more money reported greater day-to-day well-being and better overall life satisfaction.[/quote]
Source article
Love Lyle Lovett. Love that song. But maybe this one is a little closer to my own attitude towards what I own. Actually, it's exactly how I feel about the things I own.
When I went looking for this, I was surprised to find out Lovett didn't write it, Guy Clark did. Love Guy Clark too.
I'll describe some of the possessions that matter to me:
I could go on but I guess that's enough.