Experiences vs. Possessions
By Trace86
@Trace86 (5030)
United States
February 10, 2009 5:50pm CST
I got this thought-provoking article in my email today. What do you think? Do experiences give more long lasting happiness rather than possessions? I can see where they are coming from, but still see the value of a new treasured possession.
[i]Psychological research suggests that, in the long run, experiences make people happier than possessions.
[/i]
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/10/happiness.possessions/index.html
1 person likes this
7 responses
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
11 Feb 09
I tend to agree. Thinking back to my childhood, I can fondly remember 3 or 4 favorite toys. However, I can remember hundreds of experiences from that same period. Now, the older I get the less possessions mean to me and the more time spent with family and friends means.
1 person likes this
@Trace86 (5030)
• United States
11 Feb 09
I think it is the experiences surrounding the things. The memories that the items evoke. My grandmother's necklace reminds me of her and everything we did together. My hand-painted piggy bank reminds me of the love that my mother put into painting it for me when I was a baby. The poor thing is chipped and stained, but I wouldn't fix or repaint it for the world.
@Lore2009 (7378)
• United States
11 Feb 09
I absolutely agree because possessions only have quality from the experience you have from them. Your house means a lot to you because of the blood-sweat-and-tears you shed to get the payment on it and all the memories and representations it give you.. which is all the experiences. Possessions are just to remind you of the experience when your eyes need a visual.
1 person likes this
@gjabaigar (2200)
• Philippines
11 Feb 09
^_^ Howdy!.... Trace86!....
Possessions are the fruits of experiences. Or the outcome or results of every experiences. In every experiences it has always has its own purposes driven to have possessions. And having possessions can have another or more experiences to expect. It is like the cycle of sowing and reaping.
^_^ Thanks!.... and Enjoy!.... myLot!....
1 person likes this
@glords (2614)
• United States
11 Feb 09
Some possessions help you capture or create experiences so its a hard call. If you capture your child growing up on videotape, and then watch it over and over again experiencing the joy anew, well that tape is pretty darn valuable. Maybe as valuable as the experience it captured. Sometimes we don't realize how valuable a moment is while we are experiencing it, but years later we can appreciate it. If we didn't record it we may not even remember the event.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
11 Feb 09
I believe that experiences give more happiness than possessions. When I buy a new thing I get happy happy for a short period of time, but that happiness doesn't seem to last. When I spend my money on a trip or another kind of experience that happiness lasts much longer. I have never been very materalistic and I generally prefer to spend my money on traveling instead of buying a lot of things. There was time when I didn't think that things could give any happiness at all, but that is not completely true, things can give me a kind of happiness, it just doesn't last. The happiness that I get from traveling is a more lasting kind of happiness and even today I get happy when I think about my trips to other countries.
