Why So Much Stuff?!?

Why So Much Stuff?!?

Have you ever stopped and contemplated why we have so much stuff? I recently started packing up all my stuff in preparation for moving back down to Davis. And in the midst of packing, I came to realize that I have so much stuff. So many possessions that I’ve accumulated over the years, in an attempt to bring myself happiness. Computers, iPods, game consoles, and countless electronic gadgets, all treated as treasure and thought to have power over my happiness. We live in a society that pressures us to believe that happiness can be bought and sold, traded as commodities on an open market. Consumerism has taken hold of the majority of us, and has taught us that the things we buy can bring us happiness. Well, true happiness cannot be purchased! Sure, who doesn’t enjoy the smell of a new car or the crisp feel of fresh bills from an ATM. However, the satisfaction reaped from such things quickly fades away, and we are left with a deep longing for more. Always more. In the long run money doesn’t matter, materials don’t matter, our family and friends that we have in this lifetime are those who truly matter.

After thinking about this subject for quite some time, I’ve come up with two uniquely different examples that I think arrive at the crux of the matter. Now in the first example, I’m speaking mainly to men, since it involves video games. Oh how I do greatly enjoy video games; my friends and I spend countless days playing Modern Warfare 2 online alone, not to mention all the other games that I’ve played over the years. But is it really having the game console and playing the game that brings happiness? Or is it the social aspect of the game that brings all of our friends together for some Man-Time: shooting terrorists, mutilating zombies, and racing Pod-Racers! If the social part of online play was eliminated from all video games, I’m know for a fact that I would no longer reap much happiness from them. For me at least, it is not the possession of the game/console that brings me happiness. Rather it is the interaction with my friends that puts a smile on my face at the sight of every singing monkey, fires out sinister laughter from deep within my soul with the arrival of every AC-130, and warms my heart after every completed race on Rainbow Road….

My second example is for all the women out there who love to shop. While I may only have a limited experience with this type of activity, I still believe that my theory is correct. If you stop and think about it, is it the clothing and other possessions that are bought that really bring the happiness, or is true happiness created through the shopping experience with friends? I personally believe it to be the latter. Because really, what woman goes on a shopping spree by themselves? It’s almost always a social event, with one or several other friends going along for the excursion.

Now you may ask what point I am trying to make in all this, and the answer to that is that in the end, money and possessions don’t really matter. The experiences that we have with our family and friends are what bring true happiness. When searching for happiness, we as a culture need to stop looking for the “what”, and start searching for the “who”. Now, this isn’t to say that we should give up everything that we have and never accumulate any possessions. It’s just important to make sure that we have our priorities in order. When the meanings that we place on our possessions become more important than the relationships that we have with our family and friends, we have failed in the search for happiness.

“'Cause all this time I've just been too blind to understand what should matter to me. My friend this life we live, it's not what we have, it's what we believe in” ~ 3 Doors Down [It’s Not My Time]