At the beginning of the year, it seems we all go through thinking about what we did in the previous 12 months. How exciting was life? What do we have to show for this last year of living and how will we make it better next year?
When looking back, what side of the fence are you on? Are you someone that measures your joy with how much stuff you have or how many experiences you were able to live? Do you feel that vacations are a way to blow your savings on something that just lasts for 3 to 7 days or do you believe vacations add to the quality of your life? Are you someone that saves for that tv upgrade, the next iPhone, or that new blingy watch and material possessions the way to happiness?
As you plan on how to experience the coming 2016 year, as you try to decide what to do with that tax return in a couple of months, vacation or possessions, see what AWOL.com.au says would make you happier.
We’ve been telling our parents this for years – now finally there’s some science to back us up.
Recent psychological research from Cornell University in New York has confirmed that the key to happiness is through experiences rather than things. The two decade study is led by Dr Thomas Gilovich, who says that one of the key underlying differences between our value of experiences and objects is adaptation. “We buy things to make us happy, and we succeed. But only for a while. New things are exciting to us at first, but then we adapt to them.”
Basically, we get used to the things we own, and over time the happiness we derive from items dwindles. On the flip side, happiness that stems from things we’ve done actually goes up as time passes because those experiences become a part of us and shape our identity. (It’s why the baby pink Nintendo DS you relentlessly requested for your 20th birthday now sits buried and forgotten somewhere in a bag beneath your bed, whereas your four-month jaunt through South America is still recalled often and fondly, years later.)
Gilovich suggests that instead of saving for that plasma screen TV, a much sounder path to happiness is through spending your money on experiences like travel, or even outdoor activities, new skills or visiting exhibitions.
“You can really like your material stuff. You can even think that part of your identity is connected to those things, but nonetheless they remain separate from you,” says Gilovich. “In contrast, your experiences really are part of you. We are the sum total of our experiences.” awol.com.au
So what side of the fence are you on? Possessions or experiences?
I write this as I am visiting my brother in New Orleans and we prepare to go the Saints / Jaguars game at the Superdome. I'll be here for a total of 12 days, encompassing both Christmas and New Year's holidays. I didn't need the AWOL.com.au article to push me to the correct side of the fence. I do believe travel is a very important part of life and making it enjoyable. It is not throwing away your savings to experience a cruise for a week, or a great 5 day birthday trip to Seattle / Vancouver. Memories are something that help make life great.
Are you more into splurging on possessions or travel?
Happy Holidays to all and for a Happy New Year. Get out and travel.
Here are some of my personal pictures to give you a small taste of the decorations around New Orleans this holiday season.
(h/t FastCoexist via Traveller) and AWOL.com.au
So it has to be one or the
So it has to be one or the other? How about a balanced life of both having wonderful "things" (like home you can pay of and live in as long as you like and worry about a landlord not renewing your lease) and have wonderful experience. It can be done.