YJ02
Well Known GateFan
DITTO
To me, if a company wants me to wear a shirt with the name in 4 inch letters across my back or chest, then the shirt should be a hell of a lot cheaper for the free advertising
Minimalist living - The Luxury of Less, the Logic of Smaller
- Thread starter Overmind One
- Start date
DITTO
To me, if a company wants me to wear a shirt with the name in 4 inch letters across my back or chest, then the shirt should be a hell of a lot cheaper for the free advertising
PussyGalore
Meow
I've never wanted branding on my clothes. A little tag or logo, okay, if there is no way around it.
I've always been sentimental when it comes to objects. Still have a bunch of magazines from decades ago. They mean something to me and I wouldn't get rid of them, unless I decided to sell them. This is for a particular bunch of magazines I should add, not all of them. Got rid of those playboys.Also my DVD collection, I wouldn't easily get rid of that. But there is significant financial value in that as well in the sense that I spent quite a bit of money on it over the years, not that it would actually still be worth what I spent on it. I have learned to get rid of things over the years, but there are some things I don't want to get rid of.
Do you own your magazines and DVD's or do they own you?
Lord Ba'al
Well Known GateFan
I tend to think I should be the one getting paid for it.
Lord Ba'al
Well Known GateFan
Do you own your magazines and DVD's or do they own you?
I own them.
PussyGalore
Meow
Then why do you allow them to have such a powerful hold over you?
YJ02
Well Known GateFan
how much did it cost to have those shipped when you moved? that has got to be a good deal of weight.
Lord Ba'al
Well Known GateFan
They haven't been shipped. They're still in a storage locker in the Netherlands.
Lord Ba'al
Well Known GateFan
I don't feel that they do.
If I'm supposed to live my life without getting emotionally attached to anything then I might as well go full-on anarchist.
PussyGalore
Meow
You're implying there isn't an emotional component to having an anarchist philosophy. There is. It's called "anger". And obviously that emotion would be attached to many things in your world.
*Not trying to go down a rabbit hole here. Just was curious about your perspective since you said you couldn't get rid of certain sentimental items. For me it was like being forced to cross the Rubicon. I lost a lot of sentimental items in a basement flood but then came to realize that the loss wasn't as hurtful as I thought it would be. They were just things taking up space in my living area. The loss of them really wasn't that devastating in retrospect.
I once read a proverb that really helped me to get a new perspective on holding onto material possessions that aren't used:
There once was an old man who had a large cache of gold. He buried it out in the forest where no one would know where it was. He never spent any of the gold but he liked to go out to the forest, dig it up and stare at it. One day a thief followed him out to the forest and saw the gold he was hiding. When the man re-buried the gold and left the thief dug it up and stole it. When the man later discovered that his precious gold was gone he was inconsolable. He whined and wailed and lamented the loss of his gold, his precious precious gold!
His daughter, tiring of the histrionics, said to him: "You have lost nothing for you can return to the forest and worship a hole in the ground any time you wish."
We often treat our sentimental items like this, but usually with less attention as the years go on. We venerate them to the point of absurdity, making them out to be holy relics in a way. But the truth is that knick knacks tend to be ignored for years at a time for many of us. They just take up space and collect dust.
Sure, it can be nice to have photos of old times to look at on occasion, but personally I'd rather someone else in the family (or circle of friends) be the archivist of pics and mementos other than me. It makes my life immensely easier not to have all that stuff clogging up my shelves and closets and drawers. In short, I'm free. Free, dammit! Free!!!
Lord Ba'al
Well Known GateFan
I don't know the official definition of anarchy, but for me anarchy means that things just unfold as they do and everybody does as they see fit without any regulation. Basically chaos. I do not associate anger with anarchy at all. I think you might be incorrect in your premise here.
I know these magazines are just lying in a box not being read, but on the one hand they were a part of my youth and on the other they were a part of modern history. I am fully intent on digging them up someday and reading them again. When I do, my intention is to scan them in so they can be digitized. Maybe one day I'll sell them or give them to someone who appreciates them. Or I'll just throw them out. But for now, I'm not done with them. As for the DVD collection, as I mentioned, monetary value. We're talking hundreds of movies and various TV shows. I know I can get them anywhere but I don't feel like spending money on them again. And I kinda like the idea of not having to pirate them if I wish to watch them. But maybe I'll give them away someday or whatever. But I definitely do not consider it useless stuff.
Sure, it can be nice to have photos of old times to look at on occasion, but personally I'd rather someone else in the family (or circle of friends) be the archivist of pics and mementos other than me. It makes my life immensely easier not to have all that stuff clogging up my shelves and closets and drawers. In short, I'm free. Free, dammit! Free!!!
These days photo storage is easy. We live in a digital world you know.
This was me.
Both in Pussy's case and my case, those childhood collections were lost to disaster. When our home burned down (it has been rebuilt), I lost all my childhood mementos, my old Zeroids and Hot Wheels collection (with the track sets), Old Popular Science magazines, my old Apollo models and other car models I built, my old MCRD Yearbook from 1980 (I am still searching military social network sites for that one). My high school letterman's jacket, my lucky track shorts and cleated track shoes, my favorite Marine camo utility cover (the cap).I was living in my own apartment, so the loss was not direct for me, but the loss was still permanent. I did cry,I also would think of all the things I lost, but ultimately I was strengthened by the loss and now I do not attach myself emotionally to "things". For each of us it's different and I get that. I understand the guy-compulsion to collect stuff. But you can break it. I also get it that you don't want to get rid of your stuff.
Lord Ba'al
Well Known GateFan
I mean no offense by the following, though I expect that for some these words may pluck a string.
If someone loses the stuff which is dear to them through no choice of their own, whether lost in a disaster, stolen, repossessed, or in some other manner, it is logical for that person to feel sad about it. Since there is no way to get the stuff back, the only "choice" a person can make is to accept the loss. If not, one would either go crazy or live a life of sadness. Having faced the loss of things, a person can come to the realization that life goes on and the fact that things are gone really doesn't matter much in the end. I would say that's a healthy thing. One could even consider themselves "freed" from certain bonds that used to be present between the person and the stuff.
It is however a step further to conclude that having an emotional attachment to a thing is a negative thing. Simply because one has had to suffer the loss of things and worked through that and got over it doesn't mean that other people who are attached to things are emotionally shackled to them. There is in no way any negative effect on me from owning things I am attached to. It is a healthy thing to feel a bond with something just like it is a healthy thing to be able to let go of a thing. Hoarding is a different matter of course, that is not healthy.
If someone loses the stuff which is dear to them through no choice of their own, whether lost in a disaster, stolen, repossessed, or in some other manner, it is logical for that person to feel sad about it. Since there is no way to get the stuff back, the only "choice" a person can make is to accept the loss. If not, one would either go crazy or live a life of sadness. Having faced the loss of things, a person can come to the realization that life goes on and the fact that things are gone really doesn't matter much in the end. I would say that's a healthy thing. One could even consider themselves "freed" from certain bonds that used to be present between the person and the stuff.
It is however a step further to conclude that having an emotional attachment to a thing is a negative thing. Simply because one has had to suffer the loss of things and worked through that and got over it doesn't mean that other people who are attached to things are emotionally shackled to them. There is in no way any negative effect on me from owning things I am attached to. It is a healthy thing to feel a bond with something just like it is a healthy thing to be able to let go of a thing. Hoarding is a different matter of course, that is not healthy.
Good points. However, it will come to a point when the need to store these things will cost you money that you could save by getting rid of them. Right now, you do not have to consider any of that or getting rid of anything, and I understand that. I also agree with you about having emotional attachments to things is not necessarily a negative. But it isn't logical or efficient.
Lord Ba'al
Well Known GateFan
So it's not logical to feel attached to things yet you're still looking to obtain a copy of a yearbook from 1980. You're in need of a new avatar my friend. 
I disagree by the way. I think it's very logical to feel attached to an item which holds a connection to a period in one's life. It doesn't even have to be a positive thing by the way, although of course people tend to prefer things which have a positive connotation for them. But imagine that you lost someone you loved and there is absolutely nothing in the universe that is still left of this person except for one item but that item is something which people would generally not consider worth keeping. They might even consider one ripe for a mental facility for keeping such an item. Would you in such a case easily dismiss the item or would you be tempted to keep it? I think there would be some serious internal deliberation in such a situation.
I disagree by the way. I think it's very logical to feel attached to an item which holds a connection to a period in one's life. It doesn't even have to be a positive thing by the way, although of course people tend to prefer things which have a positive connotation for them. But imagine that you lost someone you loved and there is absolutely nothing in the universe that is still left of this person except for one item but that item is something which people would generally not consider worth keeping. They might even consider one ripe for a mental facility for keeping such an item. Would you in such a case easily dismiss the item or would you be tempted to keep it? I think there would be some serious internal deliberation in such a situation.
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So it's not logical to feel attached to things yet you're still looking to obtain a copy of a yearbook from 1980. You're in need of a new avatar my friend.
That is different than wanting to save DVDs that I have since transferred to hard drives, or magazines which are all archived online and are easily accessed.
Family pictures were also lost. Pictures and letters are not the same as old clothing, magazines, toys or DVDs. That yearbook had me in it in several places, while I was in Boot Camp. It has my Marine buddies and their pictures. Even if I somehow acquire a copy of it, it will not have anything in it written to me so it isn't exactly going to be sentimental. 
I have one of these:
I transferred my DVD and software collections to hard drives that I can just plug into that drive bay. You have seen my little place! Imagine me trying to have any sort of collections of anything there.
Here are some of the drives:
Quetesh
Well Known GateFan
I have to agree with Lord Ba'al. From moving countries and other personal stuff in life, I have basically "lost" 95% of everything I built up over most of life before I left USA 4 years ago. Out of all of it, their really is not much of it that bothers me. A few things do though, the rest of my cat collection and the bookcase my dad built for me when my daughter was born are both very missed. My cat collection is several figurines of various styles that I have saved from my travels in life since I was a teen plus one piece that my late brother gave to me. I miss having this collection with me in my home. The bookcase was used to first display my daughter's milestone's as she grew up and later where I displayed my father's at his memorial after he died. The fact the he made the bookcase with his hands mean the world to me and it does carry a great deal of meaning to me. Someday I hope to get these things both back and knowing that makes me content to be without them for now. So, in a nutshell, I have a perfect example of what my husband has mentioned. There really is nothing else close to this and also my dad's Phillies jacket, which I did have with me now, that I would be devastated to lose.
Yeah, I think if I had been given a choice, I would choose NOT to lose much of what I lost. That was not my fate.
PussyGalore
Meow
PussyGalore
Meow
I don't think your words were antagonistic so no strings plucked. Additionally, I'm not really trying to brow beat you into recycling your old magazine collection. I was just probing to find out your reasons for holding onto certain things. To each his own I say. It's not really a value judgment against you. (Unless you're a hoarder, then shame shame shame!
)Obviously we all have emotional attachments to inanimate objects for various sentimental, emotional and even practical reasons. For instance, I have a HUGE cookbook collection and a VERY large cookware collection. Although I will never make all the recipes from the cookbooks I've read every single one of them and they serve as decoration in my kitchen on a special wall shelf/winerack that I made years ago. People are drawn to the shelf when they come over to visit and it makes for a great conversation piece. (And yes, I do reference certain books on a regular basis, usually when baking because it's an exacting science. And yes, I enjoy reading cookbooks because they are often amazing sources of information on history and science and the writer's lives, etc.) Suffice to say the cookbooks bring me much pleasure and joy.
As for the many cookware pieces I have, I make enough varied recipes throughout the year that I use almost all of it. True, the large, domed roasting pan only gets put into use for turkeys or hams a couple times a year, but it fulfills its purpose and the rest of the time it is stored away in a downstairs cabinet. Admittedly there are a few things I don't use that much anymore, if at all, like the knife sets I have. Like most cooks I've naturally narrowed down the knives I use on a daily basis for food prep. I've got a Santuko chefs knife, a serrated "tomato" knife, a paring knife and a long serrated bread knife, each of which I use daily, or just about. I've found that these four knives are all I need, and if I had to eliminate one or two of them I'm sure I would be able to manage.
No doubt both the cookbooks and the cookware are something I have an emotional attachment to, and I would miss them a lot should they go away. (I've got an antique Kuggelhopf tube pan given to me by my mother. I've baked in it often and I would regret losing it. On the other hand I've got a 30yo Cuisinart food processor that is on its last legs. It has sentimental value in that it was the first big ticket cooking item I ever bought and I was so excited about it and it really opened up a whole new world of cooking for me. But the fact is it's breaking down and needs to be replaced. When that time comes I won't lament tossing it in the garbage despite having good memories from the thing. Keeping a dead, banged-up food processor just because I have fond memories of the thing would be pointless.)
Incidentally I stopped my cookbook collecting some years back. It had reached the point of over-flow where I had to move some of them to other areas of the house. I realized to keep collecting just to collect would take my love of cookbooks into the realm of neurosis. In short, they would end up owning me, which is not something I wanted. I'm proud of myself for not letting it get out of hand.
It seems many people translate emotional needs into unhealthy obsessions with material objects. I've seen plenty of hoarding and pack rat behavior over the years and the burden it puts on other people (in the long run) is really sad and just plain mean. There's nothing loving about leaving a house filled with useless material possessions for loved ones to clean up after one is gone. Yet I've seen people do this many times in my life. There's definitely some sort of mental dysfunction at work in people like this.
Lord Ba'al
Well Known GateFan
There was a time in the past admittedly when my collecting of DVD's got out of hand. But I got a handle on that. I only bought them when they were on sale. But I do have some which I have never watched and even some which are still wrapped in plastic. I even bought one which I apparently already had once or twice. It was sort of a mild addiction. Anyway that's all in the past now and it's been many years since I bought any.