Stupid Truisms, #2: Experiences Over Possessions
You've seen the plethora of think pieces over the last few years explaining that spending money on experiences rather than possessions brings us greater happiness. This is one of those ideas that makes a good hook for a story. Hell, I clicked on them. But it's also an idea that only makes sense on the surface. Some thoughts.
1. What they really mean is that people tend to undervalue experiences relative to possessions. An example might be skipping a trip to the Rockies or Europe because you need to get a new sofa, at which point you sit there on it glumly while everyone else is out having fun. But this is something that young people just know, and have always known. Up to a certain age, furniture is functional at best. However, after a certain point, getting furniture that is age appropriate in terms of comfort and style might indeed bring more happiness than a trip to Europe. I mean, you don't want to be fifty and travel overseas only to return to a residence that looks like a dorm room.
2. If you don't particularly value the kind of design drives the cost of furniture up, then of course it would be unwise to spend big just to impress others.
3. But in fine things, experience and possession go hand in hand. One might buy beautiful furniture in order to experience it with appreciation and joy every day.
4. The melding of experience and possession is the sweet spot. This is why when people travel they buy things; souvenirs they are called dismissively. Even the cheapest knick knack might bring pleasure, serving as a memory trigger. Our house is filled with fabrics we bought in Southeast Asia and ceramics we bought in Sicily, among treasures obtained during other travels.
5. Many of life's richest pursuits meld the acquisition of significant possessions with the joy of experience. Look at boating, to cite just one example. The hours not spent out on the water are often spent caring for the boat itself, itself a sort of meditational experience.
6. The ultimate possession that facilitates experience is one's home. There comes a time when ownership of a house is among the greatest fulfillments, and the house can facilitate life's richest experiences. There are times before and after owning a significant house when one might want to travel light, free of a house's obligations. This is fine and as it should be. But that doesn't mean experiences are better for happiness than possessions.
7. For us, it is the purchasing of art, mostly here and in Provincetown, that creates the best possessions-experience sweet spot. We develop friendly relationships with the artists and gallerists, and inject money into the local economy in a way that promotes non-mainstream vitality. And, of course, the art provides a pleasurable experience every day.
1. What they really mean is that people tend to undervalue experiences relative to possessions. An example might be skipping a trip to the Rockies or Europe because you need to get a new sofa, at which point you sit there on it glumly while everyone else is out having fun. But this is something that young people just know, and have always known. Up to a certain age, furniture is functional at best. However, after a certain point, getting furniture that is age appropriate in terms of comfort and style might indeed bring more happiness than a trip to Europe. I mean, you don't want to be fifty and travel overseas only to return to a residence that looks like a dorm room.
2. If you don't particularly value the kind of design drives the cost of furniture up, then of course it would be unwise to spend big just to impress others.
3. But in fine things, experience and possession go hand in hand. One might buy beautiful furniture in order to experience it with appreciation and joy every day.
4. The melding of experience and possession is the sweet spot. This is why when people travel they buy things; souvenirs they are called dismissively. Even the cheapest knick knack might bring pleasure, serving as a memory trigger. Our house is filled with fabrics we bought in Southeast Asia and ceramics we bought in Sicily, among treasures obtained during other travels.
5. Many of life's richest pursuits meld the acquisition of significant possessions with the joy of experience. Look at boating, to cite just one example. The hours not spent out on the water are often spent caring for the boat itself, itself a sort of meditational experience.
6. The ultimate possession that facilitates experience is one's home. There comes a time when ownership of a house is among the greatest fulfillments, and the house can facilitate life's richest experiences. There are times before and after owning a significant house when one might want to travel light, free of a house's obligations. This is fine and as it should be. But that doesn't mean experiences are better for happiness than possessions.
7. For us, it is the purchasing of art, mostly here and in Provincetown, that creates the best possessions-experience sweet spot. We develop friendly relationships with the artists and gallerists, and inject money into the local economy in a way that promotes non-mainstream vitality. And, of course, the art provides a pleasurable experience every day.
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