I aspire to significantly downsize my physical possessions, and my bits, and my media consumption. Looks like freedom from my perspective, but difficult as heck too …
I’m convinced that stuff in this sense is a social pathology wrought by late-stage capitalism. The most extreme manifestation is hoarding, but B-grade Reality TV has feasted on this issue for the past decade … * Hoarders, Storage Wars, Pawn Stars, American Pickers … these shows fascinate me for what they say about cultural priorities.
A part of the problem is how the human brain is wired. I, probably like many people, have an ability to anchor memories to objects. I could tell you the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of 99% of my possessions, down to articles of clothing and individual books. Maybe I couldn’t tell you the price I paid, but I have a memory attached to almost every object. Things become vortices through which to retain some of our own personal past, for good or for bad.
