Do you think concerns about materialism and happiness are a relatively modern phenomenon? Think again. Victorian writer Edward Sandford Martin (writing in 1893) had this to say:
“If another man tries to oppress him, he understands it and is ready to fight to the death and sacrifice all he has, rather than submit; the tyranny of things is so subtle, so gradual in its approach, and comes so masked with apparent benefits. , which has him hopelessly tied before he suspects his chains. He says day by day: “I will add to my house like this”, “I will have one or two more horses”, “I will make a small greenhouse in my garden”; ” I will allow myself the luxury of another day laborer”; and so he goes on having things and imagining that he is richer for them. Immediately he begins to realize that it is the things that belong to him…”
Going back (much further back), the Prophet stated the following:
“And tell me, people of OrphaIese, what do you have in these houses?
And what do you keep with closed doors?
Do you have peace, the silent impulse that reveals your power?
Do you have memories, the shining arches that pierce the heights of the mind?
Do you have beauty, that leads the heart of things made of wood and stone to the holy mountain?
Tell me, do you have this in your houses?
Or do you only have consolation, and the longing for consolation,
that stealthy thing that enters the guest house,
and then becomes a host and then a teacher?”
Order your life…
You may have come across modern quotes in a similar vein, such as ‘You don’t own your possessions, your possessions belong to you’. I think there’s an old Chinese proverb (isn’t it always?) that I’m going to misparaphrase as something like “If you’re only going to be happy once you have everything you want, or you’re going to have to work really hard to get it everything or you need to reduce the amount of things you want.
What is there in the nature of man that compels us to feel this way? I’m not sure, probably a combination of the human instinct to want to provide and care for those around them and the greedy little capitalist in all of us. Anyway, in my inexperienced opinion, the more things you have in your life, the less you will be in touch with or in control of your life. He calculates the difference between what he wants and what he needs. Get your life in order, throw away anything that hasn’t been used, used, read or even touched in the last year, you really don’t need it. Work won’t set you free, clutter will. Take a look here for some oriental inspiration on this.
… and be happy
Still, if you don’t feel compelled to ponder it by the ancient and spiritual advice I’ve kindly presented to you, I’ll appeal to you with cold, hard science. Less clutter and stuff means more happiness. For quite some time, researchers have known that, in general, spending money on experiences rather than material possessions leads to greater long-term happiness, and people who are ‘experimental’ than ‘materialistic’ people are generally happier. The thrill of a new purchase (it can be a strong chemical shock that can turn into an addiction) wears off quickly while the memories live on forever. I will never forget my joy and pride when my parents gave me my first smart car in my early twenties, and also, a few years later, my longing for another more modern and expensive car. What changed, the car? Hardly except for a few scratches and more faded paint. Me? I don’t think so, except for being a few years older and uglier. No matter how happy you think that new watch is going to make you, it won’t last. If you really think you need a new dress for the upcoming event on your calendar to make sure you feel like a million bucks and have fun, get ready for the feeling to fade when you see that everyone else looks just like you. Less is more. Reduce and optimize. Get rid of distractions and prioritize.
Finally, if you still want to be happier but really can’t get away from the consumer lifestyle we live in, or if you’re such a gadget geek that you won’t start spending your time and money on experiences instead of things, I have the Next tip: Move to another geographic area where you’ll have a higher-than-average income. You will still be a materialistic wage slave, but you will probably be happy. See why here.
This might be an appropriate time to mention an apparently popular proverb in Thailand: ‘Don’t think about being happy, just be.’ Try to remember that the next time your mouse hand hovers over the “Buy It Now” button on eBay.
