Feb 11 2009
Human doing vs human having
How much do you have?
How much do you own?
Very strange, very straight questions and very un-British! Actually I’m not really interested in the answers as much as I’m keen to get you thinking about the question.
So much of our culture is focussed on owning things, possessions, property, businesses, assets… often we are measured by what we own and those individuals who own the most are said to be rich. Maybe we are more acutely aware of this in times of recession as the gap between “haves and have-nots” increases.
To counter this it is also said that true wealth is what you have left when money is gone – someone recently made redundant may not find much comfort in this.
In my role as a Money Gym Coach, working with people, and with myself, to achieve financial freedom, these two can be seen as setting up a tension, one being there to stop you having the other.
Recent research has cast more light on this… people were asked to recall a recent purchase made, specifically a purchase made to increase their happiness.
Then they were grouped into those where the purchase was an object, a thing, a possession. A second group had made a purchase of an event, an outing and occasion.
The bottom line is that, after the purchase, people responded more joy persisted, lasted, after they had purchased an experience. The joy of possessing an object faded more rapidly.
To experience something, particularly a shared experience, a holiday, a visit to the beach with friends, the joy of shared experience persisted, was remembered, lasted.
Do have a look at the report yourself as it does have some interesting aspects, but one thing is certain –
We find most pleasure, most joy in sharing a pleasurable experience.
So now it’s official – having a good time with a friend is good for you.
So let’s do it!
