Some of my possessions have a sentimental attachment, but not most. I don't buy things to have status symbols, my possessions are for comfort and enjoyment.
I have three monitors attached to my computer, would I be better off if I got rid of everything I could get by without? No. That would only make me more uncomfortable and frustrated.
Do you have a big pile of junk cluttering up your house? Are you paying for storage? If so, that would be the most straightforward way abandoning possessions could improve your life.
Are you slaving away and spending your time and money accumulating status symbols rather than enjoying time with your friends and family? You might just stop buying stuff. Maybe getting rid of some unneeded possessions could help you shift your perspective and break your addictions, but I don't think getting rid of material possessions would be all that helpful to most people.
My friend says I am the least material person he knows. I have minimal possessions. I am curious about two things mainly.
One: What others consider too much material wealth.
Two: if I even need more than basic shelter.
Personally I don't view material wealth to be a problem in and of itself, though it might be able to cause problems. A decent chunk of lottery winners end up going bankrupt, and they may have other life issues like divorce. Not everyone would be susceptible to these problems though.
There's also a point where wealthier people have a higher rate of suicide. I can't say just why that is, but there's an old saying that money is a good servant but a cruel master. I think there's a certain level of stress that comes from trying to keep up, maintaining and growing your wealth and appearance all the time.
There may also be an effect similar to, but much more subtle than drug use. Too much stuff may make everything else seem less significant. It's probably easier to appreciate a dozen things or so than it is to appreciate a thousand things.
There are some things you need just to stay alive and physically healthy. If you were to limit yourself just to what you physically need, I think you would have a fairly poor quality of life. You may need things to maintain psychological health and to have a satisfying life. An amateur artist can live without art supplies, but they'll be happier if they have them.
Diogenes, the Greek philosopher, had no possession other than a bowl, which he used to hold the food that was donated to him each day. One day, he broke the bowl, and realized he didn't really need it. He never got another bowl.
He also enjoyed masturbating in public
So after he broke his bowl, he ate off the ground like a dog? Maybe he was a filthy unwashed homeless degenerate.
I used to have a lot of stuff and eventually started “minimalisn” which let to selling most of it.
It’s a simple rule for me, if I haven’t used something in the past 1-2 months I’ll think about selling it or giving it away.
I only have things I use frequently, and I try to find things that are dynamic enough to be used for multiple different functions so I don’t get more junk. Things are too specialized now a days….
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