Social Question

jca2's avatar

Are you emotionally attached to your stuff?

Asked by jca2 (16826points) March 26th, 2022

Are you emotionally attached to your stuff? Meaning, are you emotionally attached to your possessions?

I am, and I have a lot of them. I wish I weren’t, so it would be very easy to toss things out.

I thought of this question after answering this question:
https://www.fluther.com/230977/do-you-have-a-favourite-coffee-mug/

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

21 Answers

canidmajor's avatar

Oh,yeah, it’s a problem. Ugh.

rebbel's avatar

Not any longer (a progressing thing, by the way).
In general I’m at ease now with the idea (and reality) of throwing/giving stuff away.
If I feel an attachment with something I only have to tell myself the reason why that’s not at all important (any longer), and I’m good.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Yes. Not all of it though.

HP's avatar

I am, but as I age, I believe I’m getting better about giving more of it to people who appreciate, need or will use the various things. It’s absurd the amount of stuff you can pile up in a lifetime.

SABOTEUR's avatar

Several years ago my wife and I moved from a house I shared with my late 2nd wife to a one bedroom apartment. In the process it was necessary the leave or throw ago a lot of stuff accumulated through my previous marriage. The most surprising thing about it all was the discovery I could live quite happily without what was left behind.

Sadly, my 3 wife passed away 3 years after the move. I rent but no longer live in the apartment having reunited with my 1st wife. I live on her sofa now.

I visit my stuff infrequently, but the only possessions I seem to have besides my car and a bunch of old clothes is my cell phone, a firearm and a couple Amazon Firesticks. It’s fair to say I’m probably emotionally attached to them, but there’s something freeing in not feeling tied to a bunch of things. There’s no doubt I have my late 3rd wife to thank for that.

Patty_Melt's avatar

Certain things, yes. Everything, no. In fact, I am making a move next week, and only half my stuff is going with me.
The stuff I will take with me, I will not part with.

jca2's avatar

Times I’ve been in hotels for any length, due to trips or natural disasters or having home renovations, I’ve been really happy to realize how I can get by with just the basics. A few items of clothing, a few things to cook with, very little. Then when I look at my stuff, I realize it would be really hard for me to give the majority away or discard it, because it’s cute or it’s from my mom, or it’s got cats on it and I like cats or whatever. I could definitely get rid of half of my jewelry, and I try consistently to get rid of my clothes, and they’re easy because they get old or too big or too small, but as far as “stuff” stuff, it would be difficult.

JLoon's avatar

I’m more attached to other people’s stuff, but so far no arrests.

Dutchess_III's avatar

I also have several original water colors mom did.

Dutchess_III's avatar

One of my favorite things are a pair of kitchen roosters made out of various grains, beans and corn, etc. That belonged to Rick’s mom. I requested them when his dad died, and they gave them to me.

janbb's avatar

As in Dutch’s first answer, some but not all of it. I’m gradually paring down for the inevitable downsizing that is likely to come but there’s still a lot of stuff I am attached to.

Blackwater_Park's avatar

Some things yes.

YARNLADY's avatar

My problem is that I want my stuff to go to someone who needs it. I haven’t done any crafting for years, yet my craft room is still full of “things” because it might be of value to someone, I just don’5 know who.

anniereborn's avatar

Yes, very very much. This downsizing sucks ass.

SnipSnip's avatar

I did somewhat but I lost most of it and now it’s not happening again with my new stuff. I could walk out of my house with nothing but my purse and not look back. I would not do that but I could emotionally.

flutherother's avatar

I’m not as emotionally attached to my possessions as I used to be. Divorce, moving house, downsizing have all made me realise that while I have lost a lot that was of sentimental value to me, I haven’t lost anything of fundamental importance. A few things have survived the maelstrom and I wouldn’t want to lose them now. Being philosophical about it, I realise that one way or another I will in time lose everything, but this thought doesn’t trouble me much.

SABOTEUR's avatar

As I get older I’ve developed more of an emotional attachment to people I’ve love, not things. Having abused credit cards before I knew how to properly use one developed a keen perspective regarding things I want and things I “need”. There are very few things I need in life. Hard to become emotionally attached to anything I don’t need.

Where I previously posted I’ve probably developed an emotional attachment to certain things, I don’t think that’s true. It’s more accurate to say I like having certain things around for their usefulness and/or convenience. Not ONCE have I ever become emotionally attached to an item or object, but I’m frequently reminded of my wife and daughter long after they’ve passed and feel the emptiness of not being with them anymore.

That’s my emotional attachment.

Kardamom's avatar

Yes, and it makes streamlining, and cleaning, and decluttering difficult. I have memories and feelings ingrained in things.

Call_Me_Jay's avatar

I am much less attached to stuff than I was a few years ago. When I moved in 2019 I discarded a huge amount. Sometimes I wistfully recall some things I left behind, but the relief from the clutter and having a storage unit full of junk is a great feeling.

Answer this question

Login

or

Join

to answer.
Your answer will be saved while you login or join.

Have a question? Ask Fluther!

What do you know more about?
or
Knowledge Networking @ Fluther