When the few possessions that have certain value to us go missing (are stolen, lost, damaged) – the problem lies not in replacing them or recovering their financial value.
It is emotional value – and especially their worth in terms of memory or intellectual property (artworks, music, photography, writings, etc) that can be irretrievable.
We need to learn how to let go of materialistic things and not let them define us. I don’t like thinking that an iPod or a Canon define me. They don’t, but their contents instil some qualities.
Belongings invariably complicate life. Simplicity is key. In fact, when you purchases a product, that product has no significance to you at the moment of purchase.
More assets and more ownership make people dependent on them.
World wars have started over possessions – over territory, authority, power, wealth, love..
Most of our possessions and purchases are ephemeral and useless. A person can live with an astoundingly minimal number of belongings and still be rich and cultured.
Bosman in Collaborative Consumption argues that it is not the iPod or the camera or the computer that we must cherish but their contents: the music, the photos, the writing, the artworks – those very elements that have a deeper significance or meaning.
Materialism is a temporary state of existence. It can be achieved, spent, lost, exploited.. But never should it reflect on our self-worth.