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psychology

Study: Experiences Bring More Happiness Than Stuff

If you asked me to name my favorite “purchases,” I’d be much more likely to rattle off vacations I’ve taken, operas and ballets I’ve seen, and nice dinners I’ve had — rather than any things that I’ve bought.

Well, it seems I’m not the only one. A new study shows that experience-related purchases, rather than material ones, bring more happiness to the consumer:

“The results show that people’s satisfaction with their life-experience purchases – anything from seeing a movie to going on a vacation – tends to start out high and go up over time. On the other hand, although they might be initially happy with that shiny new iPhone or the latest in fashion, their satisfaction with these items wanes with time.” Click here to read the entire article…

In short, the study explains that material purchases are easy to compare, and therefore more likely to lead to second-guessing and dissatisfaction.… {Read more}

Born Minimalist?

The A&E show “Hoarders” has prompted many a debate over whether the inclination to hoard is something people are born with, or something they learn.

I’ve often wondered the same about minimalism—and mainly because it’s been part of my psyche for as long as I can remember.

I’ve been told that in my early years, I found it upsetting to have toys, clothes, and other things scattered around me. Apparently, nothing made me happier than putting things “away.” My parents assumed they had an extraordinarily tidy toddler. Looking back, however, I’m not sure it’s neatness that motivated me (I had little interest in dusting or vacuuming), but rather an innate aversion to the distraction of too much stuff.… {Read more}