Science says Buying Things won't make you Happier : Here's why

We buy things because we thing they’ll make us feel a certain way.

« Buy this and buy that, so you can look like her and feel like him » 

But buying  things doesn’t actually help us truly feel anything (except instant gratification)

Advertisements sell the feelings that Objects might give us. But the truth is : those feelings pass and then all you’re left with is… Stuff.

Let me tell you something : commercial advertisements exist in order to trigger feelings of emptiness in all of us.

It says « You are nobody until you buy that Prada purse » 

Think of those genius Marketers : they are great for arousing such a feeling in you. By buying this, you embody this cool style or whatever you want.

By purchasing this bag, you’ll be as classy and skinny as this model displayed on board. But the hard truth is : you can buy a 10 000 euros purse but if you’re not classy, you won’t become one overnight. 

Buy this pair of sneakers : they say you’ll get motivation to get the fitness body you want. But the truth is : you don’t need expensive shoes to get self-motivated. You don’t need that weight loss program worthing a 50 € per mont to get fit. 

Fortunately, lots of stuffs are free and reachable !

During my college years, I attended to Sociology classes which I found truly interesting.

We studied Social Identities which are defined by gender, culture, social class etc. These are fundamental for defining our personalities and how it will influence our purchasing power for example.

Our teacher gave us an example that is still recalling in my mind even today. She said :

«  Really ofter, People from middle class will try to reach the level of Upper class and will buy a Louis Vuitton purse to show off, just to make them feel they belong to that higher social class. Brand marketers are great for arousing that feeling, they are so smart that we have no ideaa they control us all so we end up buying more material things because we are truly convinced that’s what will make us feel better » 

Also, we’ve been pondering over the society behavior with Julie, one of my closest friend. And we made this conclusion :

Our possessions don’t define us or help us understand the important things in Life.

They feed our ego and create false sense of self, an identity based of material things sold in a store. Of course there are things we need to spend money on to survive, to stay fed, warm and safe but beyond those basic needs it’s totally up to us how we spend our money.

Too much of a something makes you feel empty inside. Buy necessary clothes, don’t waste food.

We ave the choice to live simply and be happy with basic.

Besides, the fact that we own too much is contrary to happiness : it means we are so empty inside us that we have to compensate this emptiness by buying stuffs to feel abundant. Instead of buying and feel broke at the end of the month, buy books or read articles on the Internet to extend your general knowledge : that is how you connect to people.

Science says that we will live a happier Life by spending our money on experiences : taking a course, going on an adventure, or picking up a new hobby require us to be active, lean and test ourselves (our limits) but also extend our comfort zone.

Experiences form memories that stay with us forever to share. These memories help us define who we really are, what actually make us happy and they fell carve out our core values and moral ; something that a new gold jewelry just can’t do.

So, follow the path that will ultimately give you greater happiness and fulfillment in Life and invest in your experiences. Cut the price tag and go explore the world outside. after all, when you die all you’ll have is your memories so you better make some good ones ;)