Why do people buy things that they DON'T need thinking it will improve their lives and make them happy?

Question

My wife and I live a comfortable life, we don't have any money problems because we live in our means and splurge only on special occassions.

We are in our mid 30's and will have our house and cars paid off in less than a year due to hard work and MANY extra payments.

We would like a bigger house, a newer car, etc. but we know we we need to be happy with what we have instead. So we save our money for a future child and prepaid vacations that will give us memories.

Its really hard to be happy with what you have, and it seems like many people think buying a bunch of stuff will make them happier.

My friends had a nice house, but had to sell it to buy a bigger one that costs twice as much. They are still not happy with their house and now they are in major debt with all their equity loans.

Why do so many people have so much stuff, like cars, expensive houses, gadgets, clothes, etc. when it doesn't make them feel better about their lives?

Why are we like this?

Answer 1

An explanation for such a human behaviour will show only the superficial reason. I feel that one has to go beyond what is seen , to understand the behaviour.

Every human being desires happiness but he/she is unable to qualify or quantify what would give that. But they know that that there is a VOID to be filled . Ignorant of what to put in to fill the void, they keep putting in many, many other things , a car , a boat, a mansion .... . Little do they realise that the container they put in ( the mind) has no bottom. Hence this eternal quest.

In actual fact they are NOT chasing any material thing. They are chasing only happiness. Sooner or later they will find out happiness lies not outside or inside .But happiness is YOU.

If Bill and Melinda Gates are happy today it is because they have found it in themselves. With much less in our possession we can find it too.

Answer 2

Friend - There are many reasons this happens and none are positive.

1) Keeping ahead of the Jones. That is, having more than the neighbors or friends in order to appear successful.

2) Impulsive behavior. Buying things on the spur of the moment without prior thought. Its bad enough when one person is impulsive, but two (as in a couple) will feed off each other.

3) A dysfunctional person or relationship. People DO buy things because they think it will make them happy. Depressed people often do this as do those with bipolar disorder during the manic phase. A failing marriage may be holding together based on accumulated "things" that cover up the lack of intimacy.

Hope that gives you some insight. Good question. GBY

Answer 3

Thanks for a good question!!

There are people who would argue that contented is as good as dead...... life is all about ambition and hope.

In fact that is true...... the catch is what ambition? Material ambition moving from need to comfort and comfort to luxury does not achieve anything of value .... as you have rightly said. Ambition in life ought to be for more important and necessary things such as love, respect and goodwill of others. Material possessions only invite jealousy or envy from other people ...... yes it gives a sadistic pleasure to make others jealous, but at the same time the bad blood it creates harms much more.

Yet majority of us are like this because majority of us think less and follow the majority. Even if we do think and realise the folly, we do not have the strength of conviction and will power to be reckoned as exceptions. And the trend just goes on and on. Most of us do end up regretting later.

Answer 4

i dont think there is a single person perfectly contented with his/her life right now.
what he/she wants depend on what she considers as important, for example most of us would like to have more material things, while others desperately want more love, attention, knowledge etc..

i consider the current things that i want 'simple' - a new camera phone for my birthday and christmas, clothes, new blinds for our room. but for some people that would be 'too simple', and for some it would be 'too grand'.

you're right in being happy with your current financial status and saving for a future child and vacations - that is very nice, considering there are so many out there (including myself) who has that much money to save.

sometimes people just dont know what can TRULY make them happy. a happiness that can last longer than a day, a year, a decade. i hope more people will focus on relationships instead of material things.

Answer 5

Don't know, but its the American system. I'm in my mid 30's and don't have any payments on anything, and haven't in 15 years. Everything I own, I own outright including condo, car, and boat. If I don't have the money I don't buy it - period.

I also love my job, because when I get tired of it they can kiss my a** and I don't have to worry about where to live, what to drive, or where my next meal is coming from.

Answer 6

I think it's a society thing. The north american society is so preoccupied with material things. everyone is racing to own bigger, better and nicer things, it's like the bigger it is, the happier you'll be. At least that's the bull we're being fed by commericals, and advertisements etc.
I'm glad you figured out a happy medium. Good luck to you.

Answer 7

Not everone does I have never found any great satisfaction in things but i'm sure if were to watch more television and read more magazines I would be fonder of things.

Most things one buys end up in the garage or in some random cupboard and the hour of life you exhanged for it is gone.

There is nothing you can hold onto in this life. One day you have to bid goodbye to everything.

Answer 8

I actually have a theory about this. I believe we as a human race are all born with an emotional void within our subconscious. We search forever to fill this void; with drugs, with sex, with infatuation, with religion, with material things. We are all guilty of trying to fill the need with one or more of these things. Perhaps its a mistake in our genetic code that hasn't yet been fixed through the evolution process. Maybe future generations won't hvae this problem. Or maybe this problem is exactly what makes us human beings. Either way, I don't believe it will ever be filled. It's a pessimistic view, however realistic.

Answer 9

It is in Human nature trying to find happiness by accumulating material things. They don't realise possessions give short lasting happiness and more worry and problems than pleasure. Buddha realise this and preached for simple life and more charity and compassion which gives happiness to all

Answer 10

"will have our house and cars paid off in less than a year due to hard work and MANY extra payments"

when will u people learn that hard work isnt proportional to income?

making billions is a whole different ball game