Worldly goods

It is popular, at least in our affluent society, to express sentiments such as “You can’t buy happiness”, or “The best things in life are free”. After a fire or other event involving the loss or possessions but not life, we console ourselves and other victims by stating that the lost items were “just THINGS”.

Many have come forward to suggest that perhaps you CAN buy happiness. Statements along the lines of “I’ve been poor and I’ve been rich. Rich is better!” are credited to various celebrities (most notably Sophie Tucker, although the current thinking suggests that the phrase is best credited to Beatrice Kaufman, if credited to any single individual). (Most recently, I ran across some research suggesting that there is a specific amount that benefits happiness. I believe the idea was that anything up to $75,000 does indeed increase happiness, while additional wealth does not offer much benefit.) The facts are contradictory. While there are certainly some possible advantages to wealth and possessions, there are certainly plenty of unhappy rich people.

Another widespread saying in recent years is “Don’t sweat the small stuff”. This idea is also used in conjunction with the “just THINGS” argument -- possessions are intrinsically “small stuff”, while things like your health and your relationships are IMPORTANT.

Years ago, I started telling myself to “sweat the small stuff”. Though my full logic is complicated and perhaps convoluted, it involves the concept that perhaps it is better to worry about and struggle with the small things, things that perhaps you can actually hope to control, rather than the truly overwhelming things like your health and your relationships.

Along the same lines, I have realized I can find great joy in some of my possessions -- and I do not mean status or luxury items like a sports car, a boat, or fancy jewelry. For example, I have a little plastic bottle-top that snaps on to a pop/soda can, and temporarily turns it into a bottle with a screw top (you can now buy these devices in multi-packs from ads on television, but I got mine when you could purchase them singly). Some/many would consider such a device to be pointless at best and stupid/wasteful at worst, but using it can make me happy during otherwise unhappy times. I am also quite fond of my new mechanical pencil.

This is a complicated topic. I am NOT saying that you CAN buy happiness, or that the best things in life are possessions, or even that you should ignore the “big stuff” like health and relationships. I AM saying that it’s okay to take some joy in the small stuff, and it’s okay to enjoy your “things”. Life can be hard, and if you can find some happiness in making a really great sandwich, or possessing a particularly nice-looking guitar pick, go for it!

Truth is complicated.