Stuff or Stories ?

Do experiential or material purchases give us greater satisfaction overtime? According to psychology, spending to create new memories fosters increased long term happiness than possessions. Therefore, to maximise our everyday life, we should buy experiences, not things. 

Firstly, when we purchase objects, we gradually take them for granted. Overtime, humans start to lose interest or value in those items. Meanwhile, holidays and experiences last a lifetime in one’s memory. For instance, I will never remember what I bought in Malaysia but my trip to Malaysia was unforgettable. 

Secondly, we learn more from completing experiences and immersing ourselves in our surroundings than from interacting with material objects. For example, with a survival book you may be able to recite theoretical camping skills. However,  a real - life camping experience where a professional teaches you to set up a tent, would be unrivalled. An object has little effect on the way we live our lives but an experience leaves an everlasting and positive impact.

In conclusion, experiences are necessities while objects are inessentials. Experiences inform us about the world while objects teach us the basics. Experiences also last in one’s memory for a lifetime while objects become obsolete.