What brings more happiness in your life, materialistic things or life experiences?
Materialistic things are your possessions such as a cell phone,expensive car, Louis Vuitton or Coach purse, etc. Life experiences would include but are not limited to, going on vacation, going to a concert, sky diving, etc. Majority people these days think that materialistic things bring happiness and that's what always makes them for forever. Pierre Hadot mentioned how material things do not make us happy and it's only temporary.(18-8) Most people are in the pursuit of happiness. Why do people believe that spending money on material objects is to be their happiness? How much value do people get from the purchases they make? Money doesn't buy happiness. But most people already know that. They just refuse to believe. Rather than investing more to enjoy life experiences, many spend time and money to acquire material objects they believe to be tangible measures of happiness. I see eye to eye with Pierre Hadot's philosophy of true happiness because as pleasing as "things" can be, they don't give us long term happiness.
People underestimate how much monetary value they will get out of a life experience. True happiness comes from within. For an example, when I was younger my family didn't have a lot of money. I didn't have top of the line clothing or shoes; majority times it was hand me downs. We didn't get to go on many vacations. Although I was happy with it because I was used to that lifestyle. I didn't know what it was like to live any different. The times we would get to travel, I always remembered my parents telling me "No, you don't need that toy... you have enough toys. We have to save up for our family trip." Of course when I was younger I never understood what my parents meant by that statement. But as I grew older and wiser I finally now understand. Family trips were always enjoyable and fun. I didn't need my toys to keep myself occupied. We were making memories on our vacation. I remember and cherish all the memories I have made with my life experiences. I choose life experiences over materialistic items.
Just think about what seems more long term happiness when it comes to buying a new $250-dollar purse (that could break/tear, get stolen/lost, or you lose interest in it after a while) or spending a week vacation in Italy (that you would experience new things, meet new people, make memories). You might assume that a new pair of shoes, or expensive pair of jeans will bring happiness. Although you'd probably get a better kick out of going sky diving or spending a week in Germany. But people still mostly opt for items over experiences because the value of items is more easily quantifiable. As attractive and pleasing as these things can be, nothing can make us happy if being happy means more satisfied or pleased. (18-8) Life experiences are far more enjoyable and are proved to have long term happiness in the end.
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